Forever Yours
by deewriter19
Summary: Troy and Gabriella stopped speaking to each other 8 years ago. Now the East High 10 Year Reunion may unite them. Will the sparks be there? TROYELLA mainly. Others: ZEKEPAY, CHAYLOR, RYELSI, and JARTHA. Get lost in this dramatic story - so worth it!
1. Intro

**_Forever Yours - _Thank you for visiting! This is my very first fanfic and I've been having a great time writing it. Please read and let me know what you think.**

**~deewriter19**

* * *

**Synopsis/Summary**

**Troy Bolton** and **Gabriella Montez** thought their relationship would last after they left East High, with her at Stanford and him at UC-Berkeley. Unfortunately things changed for them within the first year of college. They decided to break up at the end of their freshmen year so that they could focus on their studies and their new collegiate lives. They stayed in touch from time-to-time during their sophomore year, but after awhile, they both stopped talking to each other.

Almost a decade has passed and it's the 10 year reunion for their high school class and 8 years since Troy or Gabriella have spoken to each other. Gabriella graduated summa cum laude from Stanford with a double major in Pre-Law and History. She went on to law school at Harvard and lives in Boston working in one of the top law firms with a rising career.

Troy went on to graduate from UC-Berkeley and played basketball all four years of college. Troy led his team to the Final Four tournament both his junior and senior year – winning in his final year as a Bear. He was drafted by the Boston Celtics where he played for 3 few years until a torn ACL. Troy moved back to Albuquerque where he's now Head Coach of the East High Wildcats basketball team and teaches English.

It's reunion time and they're both excited, yet scared to see each other. Will the sparks still be there? What do they do when they can't help the feelings they have for one another?

**PLEASE CONTINUE READING FOR SOME SURPRISING EVENTS TO HAPPEN....YOU DON"T WANT TO MISS OUT! :D**

* * *

**Other characters:**

**Kelsi & Ryan** – both excelled at Julliard and are now married

**Sharpay** – graduated from U of A and is now living in LA – her and Gabriella became good friends after graduation and have kept in touch over the years

**Taylor **– went on to graduate from Yale with a Political Science degree, she now works in DC

**Martha & Jason** – both stayed around Albuquerque and are now married, they have 2 kids

**Chad** – went on to play hoops for U of A and was drafted by the Lakers – he still plays and he and Troy are still best friends

**Zeke **– lives in LA and works as pastry chef for a five star restaurant


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

Gabriella Montez stared down at the invitation in her hand. She remembered when she first received it six months ago. The invitation was printed on cream colored paper with red and gold trim. EAST HIGH TEN YEAR REUNION – CLASS OF 1999 was written in calligraphy. Gabriella smiled as she recognized the Chair of the class reunion – Martha Cross. She had heard from Kelsi that Jason and Martha got married a couple of years after they graduated from East High. She also knew that they still lived in Albuquerque and had two children, a boy and a girl. She was glad to hear that things had worked out for them. She always thought they were sweet to each other and their personalities went well together.

Gabriella continued staring at the invitation, there was a photo montage scrolled across the bottom. She got excited as she saw the familiar faces of her once close friends. There was Chad Danforth standing on top of the table with a bouquet of flowers in his hand attempting to ask Taylor McKessie to prom. What a memory that was. Chad had been so nervous and Taylor was giving him such a hard time. But they all knew she couldn't resist that Danforth smile and charm.

There was also a photo of Ryan and Sharpay Evans performing "Bop to the Top." She shook her head as she remembered the Dynamic Duo's attempt to prevent her call back. It was weird how life turned out after all. Most people probably thought her and Sharpay hated each other, but the truth was that Sharpay was one of the few people she kept in touch with since East High. At the East High graduation party, Sharpay had approached her and apologized for her behavior over the last year and a half. She also apologized for trying to take Troy away from her during the previous summer at Lava Springs. Gabriella really saw the true Sharpay and felt her apologies were sincere and since that night, they became instant friends. If Gabriella was ever in Los Angeles, she always stayed with her friend and if Sharpay ever came out to Boston, she was always at Gabriella's. Sharpay was one of her biggest support system and she wouldn't know what to do without Miss Evans in her life.

Zeke Baylor was all smiles in another photo holding up a plate of chocolate chip cookies. Zeke was by far the best dessert maker in the world. He had treated all his friends to his fabulous creations. She was also happy that Zeke finally got his dream girl. Everyone at East High knew about his super crush on Sharpay. About two years ago, Sharpay was having dinner at Chez Moi and she ordered the Verbena lemon crème brulee and as soon as she put one spoonful in her mouth, she was in heaven. It was one of the best desserts she ever had and she demanded to meet the chef so she could give him or her regards and praises. The owner of the restaurant brought out a tall, good looking man with mocha skin color. She took one look at him and recognized Zeke right away. Since that meeting, they had been inseparable.

Gabriella froze as she looked at the photo in the very middle of the montage. It was a photo of the whole cast performing _Just Wanna Be With You_, where her and Troy were in the middle and he had just presented her with roses. Their bodies inclined towards each other, his arm draped around her shoulders, hers around his waist, and they were staring into each other's eyes as they sang the last few lines of the song. Staring at the picture actually brought some tears to her eyes. She hadn't thought about Troy Bolton in a long while. This photo said so much just looking at it.

Of course, there was another photo of the East High basketball team. Troy stood out amongst his teammates and proudly wore his number 14. Troy Bolton was her first love. People always say one could never forget their first love. _Well, they're right, _Gabriella thought. As much as she tried not to think about him, memories of him would always creep into her mind over the years. It was always the good memories though. It was too hard and sad to think of that day 8 years ago when they decided to part ways. It was all too much, all at once.

She was at Stanford, trying to adjust to her life there and Troy was only 32.7 miles from her in Berkeley. It was too hard trying to incorporate her new life while holding onto Troy, her main tie to her old life. It wasn't just her who was having problems with their situation; she saw the changes in Troy too. She knew he was having a hard time balancing his classes, traveling with his basketball team, and her. At the end of their freshmen year, they decided to be adults about it and confront their issue which led to their break up. During that first summer after college, Troy went back to Albuquerque and Gabriella stayed in Palo Alto. After she graduated from East High, her mother had already relocated to the Bay Area and their home was no longer in New Mexico.

Gabriella had been devastated by their break up. Her heart literally felt like it was split and broken into pieces. Everyone was shocked by the break up. Being the good friends they were, both Sharpay and Taylor had come out to visit her within the week of their break up and tried to cheer her up. It was going to be so weird now without Troy Bolton in her life. She felt like she could just be herself around Troy. He understood her and was always so supportive. She would definitely miss their friendship. She would also miss his hugs and kisses, but most importantly, she would miss the way he looked at her.

A noise in the kitchen startled her and drew her out of her reverie. She put the invitation back down on her dresser and walked out of her bedroom and down the short hallway to investigate the noise. She smiled as she eyed her tall, sandy-haired boyfriend, Eric Tyler drinking a glass of water in front of the sink. She went over and placed her arms around his waist. "Hey E," she said.

Eric turned himself around so he could face his beautiful girlfriend. "Hey Gorgeous," he said as he leaned down and gave her a soft kiss. "How was your day?"

"It was okay. I had to go over some briefs for a case at the end of the week, so after awhile it got quite mundane. I decided to leave the office early."

"Wanna grab some dinner?" Eric asked.

"Hmmmm," Gabriella mused, "why don't we stay in and order some take-out instead?"

Eric grinned. "You, me, and bad reality TV? Who would want anything else?"

Gabriella got on her tippy toes and kissed him on the cheek. "My thoughts exactly."

"If I didn't know any better, Montez, I think we were meant for each other."

As Gabriella heard those words coming from Eric's mouth, she froze. They had been dating for almost year and taking it slow. Since Troy she'd never been in a relationship long enough to see if it could get serious. Eric was the first guy in a long while that got past the two month mark. Trying not to upset Eric or letting the pause in conversation get uncomfortable, she smiled and nodded. "Of course. Anyway, what should we order? Thai? Chinese? Japanese? Pizza?"

"Let's get some Chinese. What do you want? The usual?"

"Yeah, let's get the usual." The usual was an order of steamed shrimp dumplings, an order of beef and broccoli, an order of sweet and sour chicken, and brown rice for Gabriella, white rice for Eric. It was simple and very satisfying. She listened and watched Eric as he made the call to their favorite Chinese restaurant. Eric was truly a wonderful guy – he was smart, good looking, and funny – she should be thrilled. They had a great time together and she was happy with the way their relationship was. He had his own place, she had hers. They went out almost every weekend and saw each other once or twice during the work week. She liked it the way it was.

She shook her head as she thought about her last conference call with Sharpay and Taylor. It was about a week ago and they were talking about their relationships. She was telling her friends about how she liked her relationship the way it was and it didn't need to change drastically in the next few months or so. Of course, Taylor immediately said something about Troy Bolton. "What about Troy Bolton?" Gabriella asked.

Both Sharpay and Taylor laughed out loud. "Give us a break, girl!" Taylor exclaimed. "We both know why you want your relationship with Eric to be as easy as it has. You obviously compare every guy to Troy."

"I do not!" Gabriella protested. "I've dated other guys since our break up."

"Yes, you've dated other men, Gabs," Sharpay interjected, "but have you ever been serious with anyone since Troy? Think about it. After a certain time—"

"Two months." Taylor coughed under her breath.

Sharpay laughed as she tried to finish her sentence, "After a certain time you always break it off."

"Well, I was taught never to lead anyone on." Gabriella defended herself.

Taylor scoffed. "Honey, you don't let them in long enough to even lead them on. You have let go some of the finest men I've ever seen."

"It's not about looks, nor is it about Troy Bolton. Besides Troy and I broke up like almost 10 years ago. I don't even know anything about him anymore. I don't even know where he is. Why would it be about him?"

In a softer tone, Sharpay said, "It's always been about him and you know it. Honey, what you and Troy shared was special. Heck, it took a new girl from a new city to get this guy hooked and he fell hard and fast. Tay and I've both known him since junior high and you were the first girl he dated and went after. It totally annoyed me, of course at that time, but I always saw the looks you gave one another. No one wants to compete with that."

"Shar's right, Gabi," Taylor offered. "You and Troy shared something really special, but maybe you should just leave it as that. A special memory stored in your heart and mind forever. You can't compare every guy to Troy. That's not fair to them. Who's to say Troy hasn't changed from the 18-year-old you last knew. A lot happens in a decade."

"Ladies, like I said before, this has nothing to do with Troy. It's my decision and mine only. If I don't feel that the relationship is going anywhere, I end it. It's done." Gabriella protested once more.

Sharpay and Taylor both gave up before they really upset their friend. At least they had put the thoughts of Troy out there. "Alright, Gabs," Sharpay said, "we'll leave it alone. No more Troy Bolton talk. Anyway, when are you scheduled to arrive in Albuquerque for the reunion? I can't believe it's in less than three weeks. I'm actually excited to see all our classmates."

Taylor laughed, "I'm sure the class will be blown away by seeing you and Zeke together. I'll be in Albuquerque for at least a week. I'm flying out on the 27th."

"I'll be in Albuquerque for a few days. I have a huge case load and it's the only time I can take off. I'll be leaving the 28th and flying back Monday morning. It'll just be a long weekend for me ladies."

"Nonetheless, we'll have plenty to do and see. You're both welcomed to stay at my parent's place, you know. Ryan and Kelsi will also be there. It'll be so much fun."

"Thanks Shar, but I promised my mom I'll be over at their place." Taylor said.

Gabriella laughed, "And I'll take you up on your offer. It will be nice to see everyone. I can't wait to catch up with Ryan and Kels. I just met up with them a few months ago for dinner in Manhattan. I miss them like crazy."

"Hey Gabriella, food will be here in less than 30 minutes." Eric's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Let's go sit down and see what's on TV."

Eric took her hand and led her to her comfortable cream colored couch. Everything in her apartment was very elegant and beautifully placed. They sat down and Eric put his arms around her shoulders. She leaned her head on his chest. Eric took the remote and started flipping through the channels, after awhile they settled on an episode of _Big Brother._ They sat watching in silence for a while, laughing at the appropriate parts and made small comments once in a while. Gabriella thought back to her conversation with Taylor and Sharpay, could her friends be right? Had she unknowingly compared every guy she dated to Troy? _I couldn't have_, she thought, _sure I miss him, but it might just be the memories._

It couldn't be because of Troy. It just couldn't.


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Troy Bolton sighed as he thought about _her. _He couldn't keep Gabriella Montez out of his mind. No matter what he did, he couldn't stop thinking about her. He didn't even know where she was or what she was doing now. The last time they spoke was right before Christmas break during their second year in college. He had driven over to Stanford to wish her happy holidays before he took off on a flight to Florida with his basketball team for a mini-holiday tournament. When he got to Gabriella's dorm room, she was finishing packing a small suitcase. Mrs. Montez moved to the area shortly after Gabriella started at Stanford and they no longer called Albuquerque home. It was weird going back there for the summer and not have Brie there. She was the person that made the last year and a half at East High the best for him.

He knocked on her door and she turned around and gave him a small smile. "Hey Wildcat, don't you have a plane to catch?"

"Not for another few hours. I just wanted to catch up with you before you went home." He felt weird saying that since Brie had moved around so much over the years, but they both knew Albuquerque was her first real home. "Do you need a ride to the condo?"

"Thanks Troy, but I'm good. You know the condo isn't that far from here. One of my friends is dropping me off."

At that moment, another knock came at the door. Troy looked over to see a dark haired guy. "Yo Gabs, you ready to go?"

Gabriella looked from Troy to the guy. "Um, Troy this is Jacob. Jacob, this is Troy."

"Oh, so you're the superstar from Berkeley. Gabs has told me all about you." Jacob came into the room and picked up her suitcase.

"Funny, she's never mentioned you." Troy retorted.

Jacob laughed at his comment. "Dude, it's not what you think. I'm more into you, if you know what I mean."

What Jacob said put him at ease, but at the same time a little creeped out. "Alright, it's cool. I just came by to wish Brie happy holidays. I guess I'll do it quickly so you can get on your way."

"Gabs, I'll be outside. You know where my car is. Nice meeting you man."

"Yeah, you too." Troy and Gabriella waited as Jacob left her room. She went and shut the door.

"Troy, what was all that about?"

"What?"

"Don't 'what' me. You were acting like a jealous boyfriend."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to act all weird. I know we're just friends now, but I guess I was hoping that I would be your only guy friend."

Gabriella shook her head and chuckled. She came over to him and put a hand on his arm and looked up at him. "Troy, you'll always be my best guy friend. You're really special and no other guy could ever replace the friendship that we have. It's not like kindergarten with Jacob." She said pointedly giving him a look. "He lives in my hall and we get along really well. Besides, he wasn't lying when he said he'd be more into you than in me."

"Well, I just don't want to lose our friendship, Brie. You're the coolest girl I know and I miss hanging out like we used to."

"I do, too, Troy. But it's obvious how much we're both changing and getting immersed into our lives at Stanford and Berkeley. Your life pretty much revolves around basketball 24/7. If you're not playing during the season, it's more basketball during the off-season. Besides, I understand. I'm not mad at you for it. I'm making it easier for you anyway. We're broken up Troy. We've tried to stay friends, but we both know at some point it might not work because we'll both be too hurt when a new girl or guy enters the picture. Trust me, it'll happen."

Troy didn't like the sound of Gabriella's last words. "Have you been dating?"

"Yes, Troy, I have. I've been on a few dates."

"When?"

"Troy." Gabriella started, "please don't be like that. I don't owe you an explanation. It is what it is."

"When?" He asked again.

Gabriella sighed. "I've been on a few dates with this guy; we started seeing each other after Thanksgiving."

"Well, you waste no time, do you?"

He could see the fiery glaze in Gabriella's soft brown eyes. "What's that supposed to mean, Bolton? He's not my boyfriend. We've been on dates. That's all."

"I haven't even been able to look at another girl, yet ask someone out and you're already dating again. We only broke up in June, Brie."

"You know what, Troy. I don't have to explain myself to you. It's not like we all have basketball to keep us busy."

"Don't bring basketball into this."

"Don't accuse me of trying to live."

Troy was startled by what he heard. "What do you mean 'trying to live'?"

"Exactly that. Troy, I'm just trying to survive in a world where you no longer exist." She raised a hand to stop him from interrupting her, "I was devastated and heartbroken when we broke up in June. My heart literally was broken. I was okay with trying to be friends, but it's too hard. I can't do it. I'm always afraid that one day you'll tell me you found the love of your life – the woman you're going to marry. So, I decided to live instead of hide. I'm just trying to move on, Troy. Nothing more. Nothing less."

"But Brie, don't you see, I don't want to lose you either. Why can't we just be together? Forget our break up. I want you and only you."

"No Wildcat, it can't work that way. We broke up and there was a reason for it. A big reason. We both need to enjoy our college lives and be away from each other to do that. As much as I do want to be friends Troy, I don't think I can see or talk to you anymore. I need to move on." At this time, tears were falling down her rosy cheeks.

Troy wrapped his arms around Gabriella and held her close and tight. "Please don't say that. Please Brie."

She reached up and ran a hand through his brown hair. She gave him a peck on the cheek. "I'm sorry Troy, but this is good-bye. Please just let me be. I need the space and time away from you. I'm really sorry. Merry Christmas."

She tried to run from him, but Troy grabbed her and bent his head down to kiss her. He wanted it to last forever – this moment, with Gabriella in his arms. He wanted to taste her and he deepened the kiss. He could feel her kissing him back, but then at the last minute she put her arms on his chest and pulled away and shook her head, tears streaking down her face now. "Please go, Troy."

Troy was saddened and tried to keep his emotions in check. No use in letting her see you cry, he thought. But he could feel tears starting to sting his eyes and said, "But I love you Brie. I always have, I always will."

"Just go Troy. Please don't say anymore nice things, please." She pleaded.

"Don't you love me?" He asked. "Don't you?"

"Of course I do, this is why we have to end our friendship Troy. We can't be together, nor can we be friends. Now please go."

He walked to her door, "I'll miss you, Brie. Bye." And he walked out of there holding his head high.

Troy shook his head to get that dreaded memory out. Ever since he walked out of Gabriella's dorm room, he hadn't seen or heard from her. His parents were saddened by all this, they loved Gabriella and were hoping one day she would be their daughter-in-law. They also got along famously well with Mrs. Montez and he was sure the parents had plotted out their wedding to every exact detail. He hadn't heard from anyone what Gabriella was up to. He didn't even know if she would be going to their high school reunion, which was in a few days. He was sure there was a reason why he hadn't heard about her from any of their mutual friends, their break up had hurt everyone. So, he was sure that even if Jason or Martha or Chad knew anything, they wouldn't tell him.

Besides, wasn't he trying to move on? After he and Gabriella stopped talking, he put all his focus on basketball and theatre and even found time to also major in education. After going to the Final Four tournament both his junior and senior year, the Bears won in his last year. It had been amazing playing college hoops. He loved it. Right before graduating from Berkeley, he was drafted in the first round of the NBA draft by the Boston Celtics and earned a starting position with the team once he proved himself worthy of it. He loved the fame, the attention, and all the endorsements as soon as he was in the pros. He was even happier when he learned his best friend Chad Danforth had been drafted by the Lakers. They had their fun seeing each other on the court whenever they played in Los Angeles or the Lakers came out to Boston. With all the fame and money in his life, it pushed Gabriella Montez out of his mind for a while. But only a short while. He would still miss her after every winning or losing game. If he had big news to share, she'd be the first person he wanted to tell. He still missed her every day and the void got to him.

He played with the Celtics for three amazing seasons and at the start of his fourth season, the most horrible thing happened. He tore his ACL and his basketball career was put on hold for life. Even with all the surgery and rehab, he would never play like he used to. Troy accepted the change and decided to move from Boston and relocate back to Albuquerque so he could be closer to his parents. He was glad the he had decided to also major in education and went to U of A to complete a Master's in Secondary Education with an emphasis on English. He was now teaching at East High and Head Coach of the men's basketball team. His dad was offered a Head Coach position at U of A and was ecstatic when he learned his son would carry on his legacy at East High. Troy wasn't too sure at first how it would be at East High, but after two years, he loved it just as much when he was a student. It was weird at first to be in faculty meetings with some of his former teachers. Mrs. Darbus was extremely excited to see him when he was introduced as the new English teacher. Her love for the theatre hadn't changed much and she was more eccentric as the years passed. Nonetheless, he appreciated her advice and kindness as he began his new career as a teacher.

Within his short time back at East High, he was able to reconnect with some of his classmates. Jason and Martha Cross were good friends and they both remained in Albuquerque. He loved going over to the Cross' house because he loved their children, 3-year-old Melody and 5-year-old Nathan. Jason worked as a financial planner and found time to be Assistant Coach for Troy. Martha was a full-time mom with the two young ones, but still found time to be Head Coach of the cheerleading squad. Besides Jason and Martha, he was still close to Chad. Chad was still with the Lakers and lived in Los Angeles. Whenever Chad could, he would come down to Albuquerque to visit the guys. Zeke was also a close friend and he also lived in L.A.

Troy chuckled as he thought about Zeke. He finally got the girl. He knew that Zeke and Sharpay had been dating for two years now and lived together in a gorgeous home in L.A. He knew they would be a big hit at the reunion. He was a famous pastry dessert chef in a five-star restaurant and Sharpay was a big TV personality. She was the host of her own talk show called "Evenings with Evans". He was glad to see that Sharpay had calmed down a little over the years and seemed to be more serious and natural. She didn't wear pink all the time anymore and was more subtle. She wasn't over-the-top anymore either. She had come down with Zeke once or twice when he came for a visit. He was glad things worked out for them. He heard through Zeke that Gabriella and Sharpay were good friends. It had shocked him at first, but he was glad to see the girls put their differences aside. He knew he could ask Zeke for information on Gabriella, but he never tried. He was sure Zeke would know where she was, but then again, he wasn't sure if Zeke would say anything.

Zeke, Jason, and Chad saw how devastated he was when he and Gabriella broke up. He was sure his buddies never wanted to see him in that state again. So they all pretended that the beautiful dark haired woman didn't exist and she never came up in their conversations. They just talked about life, basketball, and work. They were the best friends any guy could ask for. He was also excited that Zeke and Chad would be in town for the reunion.

A knock on his classroom door startled him. He looked over to the door and smiled as he saw who it was. Julia Cranston came into the room and gave him a quick peck on the lips. Julia was the geometry and trig teacher at East High. She was also his girlfriend of almost a year.

"I just wanted to stop by and say hello," she said giving him a big smile.

"It's a nice hello," Troy joked. He looked at her and smiled again. She was a pretty lady. She had shoulder length blonde hair and gray eyes. Her eyes were very striking, at times steely looking. They got along fairly well. They tried to keep their relationship discreet but some of their students knew they were dating. Julia was younger by a few years; she had been at East High for four years now, started teaching right out of college. She was about his height and very slim and slender. She was often the object of affection amongst the male students.

"So, are we still on for dinner tonight?" She asked.

"I have practice until 5:30 or so. Meet you at my place around 7?"

"Sounds good. See you later Mr. Bolton."

"See you later Ms. Cranston." He teased back. And then she left the room.

He should be thrilled that he had such a good girlfriend. She was very active and into the outdoors. She had played some basketball when she was in high school and they played from time-to-time. She was exactly what he needed, but at the same time, he wanted more. Julia was safe, a sure thing. But something was definitely missing. He knew exactly what he was missing. He knew he wasn't being fair to Julia because he was obviously still pining for Gabriella. He compared everyone to Gabriella and he knew it. A lot of the women he had dated always lacked something. Something that wasn't Gabriella.

Julia knew about Gabriella. He had told her about his ex-girlfriend when they were first getting to know each other. He was surprised at how Julia took it. She wasn't the jealous type obviously. She was patient with him. He wasn't sure how serious things were with Julia though. Sometimes when they hung out, he felt like they were more friends than lovers. He just didn't feel the same passion as he did with Brie. He knew in order to be fair to Julia, he had to let go of Gabriella. _Could I really do that?_ He thought. The answer was simple: No.

He wanted to ponder some more on the situation, but his thoughts were interrupted by the school bell and his ninth graders started to fill up their seats. He said good morning to his students and started his discussion on _Of Mice and Men_ by John Steinbeck. He pushed any thoughts of Gabriella to the back of his mind for the next 45 minutes.


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

"What am I going to wear to the reunion? What are you wearing?" Gabriella asked Sharpay.

"I found the sexiest number the other day. It's absolutely gorgeous. It's a red halter dress styled just like Marilyn Monroe's."

"Wow, that sounds sexy. But seriously, Shar, why do you want to look so sexy? The reunion's in the East High gym, not at some swanky hotel or anything."

"Honey, you must present yourself as the best at these reunions. You should consider sexy."

"I don't know. I'm kind of having second thoughts about going."

Sharpay shrieked. "What? Gabriella Montez, your butt better be at that reunion! If I have to, I will divert my plane from LAX to Logan just to pick you up. You will not miss our reunion."

"Okay, okay. Fine, I'll be there. I just need to find something to wear. I've been to several department stores and I can't find anything I like."

"Maybe you need something from L.A. Don't worry about it, I'll have my stylist get you something. All you need to do is catch your plane tomorrow. Remember, Daddy's driver will pick you up from the airport. Just look for the bald man with a sign that says "Miss Montez". I can't wait to see you!"

"Thanks Shar for everything. I don't know what I would do without you."

"You'd be miserable."

"Exactly. See you tomorrow." As Gabriella closed her cell phone, she smiled at the photo by her night stand. It was one of her, Sharpay, and Taylor. She was so happy that Sharpay was now their close friend. She'd do anything for either of them.

She got into her bed and curled up beside Eric. He was reading this month's _New Yorker_. "So you're really leaving me for the weekend then?" He asked.

"Yes, I have to. We wouldn't want Sharpay to take over an airplane and come get me herself now, do we?"

"I would be scared for everyone's life on that plane." They both laughed at the thought. "Besides, why are you so worried about what to wear? It's just a reunion?"

"I know, but I haven't seen most of these people since I left East High and Albuquerque 10 years ago. This was the first place that I felt was home to me." She looked at him; he was still engrossed in his magazine.

"Do you have any famous class mates? In my class, we had a lot."

"Besides Sharpay, two of my classmates play for the NBA. Well, one still does; the other used to till he got injured."

"Which players? How could you keep this from me?" He teased.

"Um, Chad Danforth."

"You went to high school with Chad Danforth. How cool is that? That dude is amazing. I can't believe how many games we've watched him play and you never mentioned you know him."

"Not know, knew. It's not like we're friends or anything these days."

"Who's the other guy?"

Gabriella was startled. "What other guy?"

"You said there were two guys that play for the NBA. Or one used to."

"Oh, um, Troy Bolton."

"WHAT? You know Troy Bolton? That's awesome. He did such a great job with the Celtics, it was sad to hear about his ACL. I didn't know you were swimming amongst the famous."

"It's not like I really knew Troy." Gabriella had no idea why she had just lied to Eric.

"That's still pretty cool though. Maybe you could get their autographs for me."

Gabriella looked at Eric and saw he wasn't joking. "Um, sure, if I get the chance. I'll ask." She didn't want to talk about her classmates anymore. "Anyway, I'm going to sleep now. My flights at 10 and I don't want to miss it. Good night."

Erick put down his magazine and placed his arms around her. "Good night Gabriella. Then he took one finger and held her chin up to face him, "I know you want to take things slow, but I have to tell you this, I love you."

Gabriella wanted to say something, but Eric shushed her with his finger. "I don't expect you to say it back, but I wanted you to hear it from me at least. I'm ready for the next step. You just let me know when you are." And with that he leaned down and kissed her. Gabriella was shocked; she hadn't expected that from Eric. She didn't know what to say, she didn't even know how to feel. So she kissed him back and moaned as Eric left kisses down her throat and started to roam his hands over her body. She succumbed to his kissing and touching and didn't go to sleep until an hour later.

* * *

Troy was sitting out on the patio, listening to sounds of the night. He could hear crickets chirping, dogs barking from afar, cats meowing, and traffic moving along the highway. It was two nights before the reunion and he was getting anxious. Chad and Zeke were back in Albuquerque for the weekend, both getting in earlier that day. He had the guys over for dinner, grilling some mean steaks. He had finally done the inevitable and asked the guys if they knew anything about Gabriella Montez coming to the reunion. Of course, Jason and Chad said they didn't know, and he didn't quiet believe them. He took one look at Zeke and he could tell his friend was conflicted.

"It's okay, Zeke," he said. "If you promised Sharpay not to say anything, then don't. I don't want you to get in trouble."

"No, dude," Zeke said, "It's just that we don't want you to get your hopes up or anything."

"So, she is coming then?"

Zeke nodded. "Yes, Miss Montez will be gracing us with her presence at the reunion."

At that moment, Troy felt all the air in the world disappear. He was trying to breathe. "I can't believe it. I'm going to see her after all these years." He saw Chad, Zeke, and Jason shooting each other little looks. "What guys? Do you know how long I've gone without mentioning her name? Zeke, do you know how much it kills me knowing that your girlfriend is best friends with her. I could have asked you questions all the time, but I held back."

"We know that Troy," offered Chad. "We just don't want to see you hurt again. It was hard for all of us the first time."

"I know it was hard. I appreciate you guys being my friends and taking care of me. I was wreck, I know. But I have missed her every day since that last conversation we had at Stanford."

"What about Julia?" Jason asked. He knew his wife and Julia had become friends since Troy started dating her.

"What about her? She's fun and nice, but guys, she's not Gabriella."

Chad looked at Zeke and Jason again. "We were afraid you would say that."

"Come on guys, you all know how obvious it is that I'm still in love with Gabriella. I've never stopped." Troy pleaded to his friends.

Zeke put a hand on his shoulder. "We know that. We know how you've deliberately ruined every relationship you've been in because you compare everyone to Gabi."

Troy looked down at his feet and thought about what his friends were saying. "I know I do." He admitted. "It was a mistake when I walked away from her 8 years ago and I'm not letting it happen again."

This time Zeke firmly squeezed his shoulder. "Troy. We get it. You love her. You let her go and you want her back. But what about Gabi? Do you think you can honestly do this to her at our reunion? What about the life she's built? What if she's already taken?"

Troy turned around to face Zeke. "Man, if you want to really say it, just say it. Tell me she's married and I won't even interfere with her life and I'll leave her be."

The guys once again looked at each other and gave him a skeptical look. "She's not married Troy but she does have a boyfriend. She's been dating him for a year now. She's moved on, just like you have." Zeke told him.

"Where has she been all this time?" Troy asked. He caught his buddies looking at each other again. He wasn't sure if he would like the answer or not.

"Since you're going to find all this out anyway, we might as well tell you. She lives in Boston. She's been there since graduating from Stanford. She got into Harvard Law, graduated at the top of her class, and works at a top law firm there." Jason stepped in to tell him this time.

"Wait a minute. Boston? You mean to tell me, she was in Boston at the same time I was?" Troy was upset now. How could his best friends keep that away from him? They knew how much he pined for her and she had been in the very same city as he was.

"Yeah, Troy, she was there starting at Harvard the same time you played for the Celtics." Chad said.

"I want to be alone right now. Have a good night guys." He turned his back on his friends and sat down in a chair facing out into his backyard.

Before they left, Zeke called out, "Troy, we were trying to protect you both. Your break up rocked your worlds, even ours. You guys got serious way too young and fast and we just didn't want either of you to be hurt like that again. We're sorry if we overstepped, man."

Troy just shrugged his shoulders and listened for the front door to shut. He buried his face in his hands. _How could they do that to me? How could they keep something as big as this away from me?_ He wasn't sure if he was upset at his friends or at himself. He was the stupid one to let her go and he walked out of her dorm room 8 years ago. His friends didn't do anything then and he already screwed up the relationship. He didn't care what any of them had to say at this point. He knew Saturday night was his chance to be with Gabriella. He wasn't going to let her go this time or let her walk away from him. He would confess his feelings, even if it blew up in his face. He had to tell her. She had to know she was the one.

But first things first, there was something he needed to do. He got up, grabbed his cell phone and dialed her number.

"We need to talk. Do you want to meet up?" He listened for the response. "Okay, I'll meet you at your place in about 15 minutes."

Troy grabbed the keys to his jeep and headed over to Julia's condo. It was time he owned up and be true to his feelings.

* * *

Julia opened the door and let him inside her condo. She gave him a quick peck on the lips. "To what do I owe this surprise visit?"

"Julia, we need to talk." Troy started right away. He didn't want to lead her on anymore.

"Oh, this sounds serious. Let's go in the kitchen. You want something to drink?" She asked.

"No, I'm good. I really want to apologize for how late it is, but I have to do this."

"What's up, Troy. You're kind of freaking me out."

"You're freaked? I'm a wreck then." He paused and turned to look at her. She had a confused look on her face. "Alright, here it is, I think we need to break up."

Julia looked shock for a minute. He watched the hurt seep into her steel eyes. "I think I agree with you, too."

"What? You agree with me?"

"Troy, we've had fun over the year, but I know your hearts not in it. Women are a lot more tuned in than men. It's obvious when the guy you love is obviously in love with someone else." Julia said sadly.

"Wait, you love me?" He was confused. They had been dating a year, but he never saw it as serious. They were very casual.

"What's not to love? Your smart, attractive, fun to be with, and an honestly good guy. It's my fault really. When you told me about Gabriella, I obviously saw how much you still wanted her and loved her. I guess I was hoping I could be the one to change Troy Bolton's mind." Tears were starting to brim her eyes. "Silly of me, right?"

Troy reached out and put a hand on her arm. "It's not your fault. It's mine. I let her go and I didn't fight for her. I should've never started anything up with anyone while my heart was tied to someone else. The truth is, I gave my heart away 11 years ago and I never got it back. I wasn't fair to you, and I'm sorry."

Julia sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "You know, I think I always knew this would never work out. But, a girl can always hope." She reached out and squeezed his hand. "I know things were already changing once the reunion was nearing. She's going to be there, isn't she?"

Troy nodded. "I'm sorry to do this to you, I really am. You're a great woman and any guy would be lucky to have you. And I do hope you find that special guy someday."

"You know what? I think I'll be okay. You, my friend, I worry about. I hope you get her back." Julia said kindly.

"Why are you being so nice about this?" Troy asked, confused.

"Troy, it's obvious to anyone who knows you two that you're destined to be together. I wouldn't want to stand in the way of fate's hand. Besides, I've seen the reunion invitation. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that you've never looked at me the way you do her."

"Once again, I feel like a jerk, Julia. I can't believe how well you're taking this. I am really sorry. And I do mean this – I hope we can still be friends?"

"I think I'd like that too. And good luck with getting Gabriella back." She got up to walk him out and Troy turned and gave her a hug.

"See ya around, Mr. Bolton."

"See ya around, Ms. Cranston."

They both shared a laugh as Troy walked back to his jeep and Julia closed the door. Troy felt alive again. He was going to get his Brie back. He just hoped she would want the same thing, too.


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Gabriella was very nervous. Her plane was landing in Albuquerque in 15 minutes. She still couldn't get over last night's conversation with Eric. He had told her he loved her. She was still shocked by it and couldn't wait to get Taylor and Sharpay's take on the situation. This morning he had left her apartment early, but not before making her breakfast in bed. It was rather sweet of him. She just didn't know how to take it. At times she could see herself with Eric for a long time, but then again, someone else was always in the picture. That certain someone had the most alluring and amazing blue eyes. Blue eyes that looked at her with so much love and care in the world. As nervous as she was, she was actually excited to see him. Sharpay had finally told her that Troy would be at the reunion. She also smiled as she recalled the other stuff Sharpay told her.

After his torn ACL, Troy had moved back to Albuquerque to be close to his parents. While there, he decided to get a Masters in Secondary Education, with an emphasis on English. He now taught at East High and was the Wildcats basketball coach. She was glad things had worked out for him. She always wanted Troy to have a good life. She was sorry to hear about his ACL, but it seemed that he had taken the changes thrown at him well and readjusted his life. She was also excited to hear that Troy's dad was now Head Coach at U of A. She adored Troy's parents and had hoped to call them mom and dad one day. If things weren't weird, perhaps she would consider dropping by for a visit with them.

"We will be making our final descent into Albuquerque. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen for flying with American Airlines. Please have your seats upright and trays back in place." The flight attendants perky voice told them over the speakers they were landing shortly. Gabriella adjusted her seat and looked out the window. She was sitting in First Class, so her flight hadn't been all that bad. The man seated next to her had been fine. He wasn't rude or anything. He kept to himself.

Gabriella braced herself as she saw the plane descending lower and lower and was relieved once the plane hit the runway. She was glad she had packed lightly and her carry-on suitcase had fit perfectly in the overhead bin. They were finally at the gate and she breathed a huge sigh of relief as she got off the plane and walked into the terminal. She stopped at the bathroom first and while washing her hands she checked herself in the mirror. She had put her long dark curly hair up in a messy bun. Her make-up was still perfectly applied. She straightened the cropped black blazer she was wearing over a knit white tee. She turned to the side to check herself out. The dark jeans looked great on her and hugged her butt in the right places. The black suede kitten heeled knee high boots made her whole outfit complete. She looked cool, classic, and calm. She grabbed her large Chanel tote and rolled her carry-on towards baggage claim.

She immediately spotted Virgil, the Evan's chauffeur. He was waving a sign that said "Miss Montez." She approached the man.

"Hi Virgil." She greeted.

"Hello Miss Montez. Do we need to wait for your luggage?"

"Nope, I got it all right here."

"Shall we then?" He asked, grabbing her carry-on.

"We shall." She laughed as she walked with Virgil out to the Evan's limo. Gabriella felt giddy as Virgil opened the door for her to get in. She felt like a celebrity. Even bystanders were pointing and she could hear whispers like "Who's that?" and "Those boots are fabulous!"

She was in Albuquerque. She didn't think she would ever be back here again. Within a few months at Stanford, her mother had called her one day and said that her company was relocating her again – to Palo Alto. Her mother had moved closer to where she went to school. She hadn't minded though, she loved her mother very much and they had a close bond. She had talked to her mother the other day. Her mom was still in Palo Alto and loving it there. She had even gotten remarried 4 years ago to a really nice man named Dave, who was a CEO at one of the tech companies in the Bay Area. She was very happy for her mom and glad that she didn't need to worry about her daughter anymore. Well, only one matter was always a concern for her mom. She had hoped that Troy would be her son-in-law and was heartbroken when she had told him they broke up. Every chance she got, her mother would ask her about Troy. Gabriella would sigh and tell her mom that she and Troy didn't talk anymore and that usually shut down the conversation. She knew her mom and Mrs. Bolton were close before they moved away from Albuquerque. She was sure that the mothers would plot to get their children back together if they could.

"We are here, Miss Montez." Virgil announced as he pulled into the Evans' expansive circular driveway. As soon as Virgil opened the door for Gabriella, she felt a hand grab hers and felt herself being pulled out of the limo.

"GABI!" Sharpay shouted as she grabbed Gabriella in a hug and jumped up and down. "Oh my God! I'm so excited to see you." Sharpay stepped back to admire her friend and twirled her around with one hand, "and my, my, my, don't you look fabulous!"

"And that she does." Said a masculine voice behind Sharpay.

"Ryan!" Gabriella shrieked, running over to her friend and giving him a hug. "It's so good to see you. Where's your wifey?"

"Hey Gabs, I'm right here!" Kelsi shouted from the front door of the mansion. "We have a surprise for you." And Kelsi walked out the front door towards them. Gabriella looked at her petite friend. Kelsi's face glowed like she'd never seen before. She no longer wore glasses since she had gotten Lasik surgery done a few years back.

"What's the surprise?"

As she reached Ryan, he grabbed his wife's hand and pulled her to his side. "You, dear Gabriella, are going to be an Auntie!"

"What? Let me look at you. Oh my goodness. I am so happy for you both! How far along are you?" Gabriella grabbed both of them in a hug.

"Four months." Kelsi said.

Gabriella looked over at Kelsi and her tiny frame. "You look fabulous. I can't even tell."

"Is that Montez I hear?" Gabriella turned her head toward the voice and recognized Zeke.

"Hey Zeke," she shouted as she ran over and gave him a hug.

As Gabriella turned to look at the four smiling faces in front of her, tears started to brim her eyes.

Sharpay walked over to her friend and draped an arm around her. "Hey Montez, what's up with the tears. This is a happy moment."

Gabriella smiled and laughed. "Exactly. I'm just so touched right now seeing all of you and my emotions are just getting the better of me. These are happy tears, I swear." She took a tissue out of her tote and dabbed at her eyes. "Anyway, I can't wait to catch up with everyone tomorrow night."

"Well, Gabs, that's where you're wrong. We're pre-reuniting tonight. We're hosting a BBQ here just for the gang." Sharpay told her.

"That'll be so much fun." She said, and then at once, "What do you mean the gang?"

"Exactly that. Taylor got in last night and she'll be here later. Chad Danforth is also in town and coming over. Jason and Martha will also be here with their adorable kids. And Troy. Oh and all their parents." Gabriella noticed Sharpay saying the last name just a little too quickly.

"Shar." Gabriella gave her friend a look. "Did you just say Troy?"

"Yes, she did." Zeke interjected for his girlfriend. "He's one of us. He's going to be here. We hope it's not a problem."

Gabriella plastered a fake smile on her face. "It won't be a problem. We're all adults here, right?" Sharpay and Kelsi exchanged a look as if to say, _riiiight._ "What time does it start?"

"Everyone's coming over around 6. It gives us plenty of time to relax and catch up." Sharpay stated. "Want to lounge by the pool?" She asked Gabriella.

"Sounds great Shar. Let's go change." She grabbed her friend's hand and dragged her into Sharpay's bedroom. "How could you not let me know that there was going to be a BBQ tonight? A phone call would've been nice."

"Gabs, it really was an impromptu plan. We just thought of it this morning and then before you know, it, calls were made to all interested parties and their parents. It'll be a nice reunion for our parents too, you know."

"But whatever you do, don't leave me alone with Troy. Don't. You promise?" Gabriella looked at Sharpay pointedly.

"Promise." Sharpay gave her friend another hug. "Everything will be okay Gabs, I promise."

"Sharpay, what did I say about the word promise?"

Sharpay looked at her friend innocently, "That it's a nice word?"

"No, promise is a strong word and shouldn't be used lightly. Remember?"

"My dear Gabs, how was I supposed to remember that? You said it to a certain brown haired, blue-eyed basketball player, not to me. Besides, everything will be okay. Taylor's on her way over to lounge with us. She should be here soon."

"Good, I have something to tell you both."

Gabriella and Sharpay both changed into bikinis. Sharpay was wearing a simple blue two piece. Gabriella was wearing a red bandeau top and matching boy short bottoms. They both grabbed terry cloth robes from the Evans bathroom and made their way to the pool. As they passed the kitchen, Mrs. Evans came out to hug and greet Gabriella.

"Gabriella, dear. You get more gorgeous every time I see you. How are they treating you in Boston?"

She giggled at Mrs. Evans sentiments. "You are too kind, Mrs. Evans. Boston's treating me well."

"Enjoy your time here, dear. If you need anything, just let us know."

"Thank you. Will do."

Sharpay looked at Gabriella and rolled her eyes. The gesture made them both laugh. Ryan and Kelsi were already by the pool lying on the lounge chairs. She looked around for Zeke. "Where's Zeke?"

"He's prepping for the BBQ. He's been at it all morning. I told him the staff could do it, but he's excited to do all the marinating, grilling, and making dessert. He loves the kitchen." Sharpay said admiringly.

"Zeke's great. I'm glad it took you all those years to finally notice him."

"Oh, I've always noticed him. I was just too stupid to see him for who he was not what he was. Besides, in high school everyone wanted the primo guy, who you had already hooked without even trying. I'm just glad that everything worked out the way it did for me and Zeke."

Just as Sharpay finished her sentence, the side door to the Evans expansive backyard opened and a voice shouted, "Did someone call for sunshine?"

Gabriella turned towards the voice and as soon as she saw her friend, ran over to her. "Hey Tay!" She threw her arms around Taylor. "It's so good to see you."

Taylor laughed and took a look at Gabriella. "I've missed you, too, girl. The last time we saw each other was way too long. Cute suit by the way."

"Oh, this little thing," Gabriella said. "I wanted to make sure I have no tan lines."

"Smart girl." Taylor agreed. Taylor was wearing a white halter one piece suit. It looked amazing against her dark skin color.

They walked over to the chaise where Sharpay had already laid down. She immediately got up as she saw her best friends approach her and grabbed Taylor in a hug. "Hey chica, so good to see you!" Sharpay exclaimed.

"Same to you!" Taylor giggled as she laid herself down next to Gabriella, who took the spot next to Sharpay. Taylor turned towards Ryan and Kelsi and greeted them as well. At this point, Ryan and Kelsi decided they had too much sun and headed inside the mansion. As soon as they were gone, Taylor turned to her friends with a big smile on her face. "So ladies, I have some news."

"What kind of news?" Gabriella asked.

"You'll never guess who I ran into while grabbing coffee this morning?"

Sharpay and Gabriella exchanged glances and smirked. It would have to take only one person to get her this excited and giddy. "We have no idea, Tay," Gabriella said.

"I ran into Chad!" she shouted.

"Oh, wow!" Sharpay said. "How long has it been since you talked to him?"

"Years. It just got too hard once he got in the NBA. He was so busy with everything and I started my career. We weren't dating anymore but we were still good friends."

"So, how was it talking to him again?" Gabriella inquired.

Taylor looked at her friends and dramatically sighed. "I was so nervous. I mean, here I was, just sipping my coffee and enjoying the latest issue of _The Economist_ and all of a sudden a dark shadow looms over me. I looked up and I swear I was looking at the finest man alive."

"I don't know about that, girls, I think the finest man alive is already taken." Sharpay interrupted, which earned laughs from Gabriella and Taylor.

"Ha ha, Shar! Let me finish. Okay, so I look up at him and he says my name." Her friends urged her to continue. "Then I realized I was looking at my Chad."

"My Chad?" Gabriella asked. "Tay, I thought you said things with you and Chad were always casual, even when you started seeing each other in high school."

"They were. But I'm still allowed to call him mine, aren't I?"

"Awww, that's so sweet. So you obviously felt some sparks there, right?" Sharpay said.

"After we hugged, he joined me and we talked for about 15 minutes before he had to leave. We were talking non-stop and the conversation was seamless. I wanted to talk to him forever." Taylor gushed.

"Girl, you can talk to him some more tonight when he's here for the BBQ." Sharpay told her.

Taylor sheepishly looked at her friends. "Er, I might have done something."

"What?" They both shrieked.

"Uh, I kind of asked him if he wanted to join us this afternoon."

Sharpay looked at her. "What's wrong with that? It seems you guys are hitting it off again and this is a perfect afternoon to catch up before everyone else arrives."

"Yeah, I know," she said. "I'm not worried about Chad or me."

"Tay, what is it?" Gabriella asked firmly. Her friend was acting really weird about something. She could guess what it was, but she wanted Taylor to admit it.

"I'm sorry, Gabs. I should've called you both before I invited anyone over. Chad's bringing _someone._"

From the way Taylor said 'someone', they all knew who she was talking about.

"Taylor!" Gabriella huffed. "How could you? I mean I've accepted that I would see him tonight, but this afternoon? I'm not ready for any of it."

"I'm sorry. He was headed over to Troy's to shoot some hoops and he asked if he could bring him. I figured Ryan and Zeke were here already, why not let the boys have their time, too."

"That's very sweet and all, Taylor, but what about me? Did you really think I would be okay with the idea?" At this point, Gabriella was upset and her two friends noticed it.

"Gabs, it'll be okay. It's just one afternoon. You don't even have to talk to him if you don't want to. There are plenty of things to do to keep him busy. I can always have Zeke look after him." Sharpay offered, placing a hand on Gabriella's arm.

"I just want fair warning, that's all." Gabriella complained. "It's like you guys are trying to force me to have a conversation with him. I'm not ready."

Taylor leaned over and put an arm around her friend. "I am really sorry, Gabi. I thought it'd be okay because we would be all around, you know. Besides, it might do you some good to talk to him."

"What?" Gabriella asked, incredulously. "Why should I talk to him?"

Taylor and Sharpay gave each other a look as if to say, _you want to tell her or should I?_ "Because Gabriella, as much as you don't want to admit it, you miss him. You have missed this man for almost a decade. Now is your change to talk to him again."

"You guys are confusing me. About three weeks ago, I recalled you guys telling me to forget him and focus on Eric. Now, you're telling me to talk to him."

"Honey, we said talk to Troy. And from there you can decide what you want to do, with Eric or without Eric. You know you want to talk to Troy." Taylor said.

Gabriella looked from one friends' concerned face to the other. "I'm sorry I got so weird about it. I guess I'm just really nervous. I haven't talked to him for over 8 years. The last time we talked was one of the worst days of my life. I can't believe I told him to leave and let me go. I've been thinking about that day lately and it kills me."

"We know, honey. Remember how hard it was for all of us when you broke up? I think everyone looked at your relationship as the model for all teenage romances. It was instantaneous with you both. You had the cutest way you met, then out all the cities in the country, your mom is transferred to Albuquerque, and you both end up in homeroom with Mrs. Darbus. It's like fate wanted you to be together." Taylor said whimsically.

"Yeah, I know. But fate can also be twisted. Look at how things ended up for us."

Sharpay took Gabriella's hand and squeezed it, "Honey, I don't think fate had anything to do with it after she put you and Troy together." Her friend said sincerely and sadly.

Gabriella just nodded as she thought about what Sharpay said. Her friend was right. Fate had nothing to do with it at all. It wasn't fate that made them break up. It wasn't fate that made her end their friendship. In fact, fate was still working in her mysterious ways. She had gotten into Harvard Law and relocated to Boston. At the same time, Troy had been drafted by the Boston Celtics and he had made himself a home there. Had fate purposefully put them in the same city so they could reconnect?

Her thoughts were interrupted as Ryan came out to the pool, "Guess who I found lurking in the front?"

Taylor ran over to Chad and gave him a hug. "So glad you could make it."

Chad had his arms around Taylor. Sharpay and Gabriella noticed he was checking their friend out. "Thanks for having me over."

Sharpay and Gabriella walked over to greet him as well. "Wow, you both look fantastic. How did a guy like me get so lucky to be basked in all this beauty today?"

They all laughed and chit chatted for a few more minutes. Gabriella could feel the anxiety and wondered where Chad's best friend was. Taylor noticed her friend's expression. "So, where's Troy?" Taylor asked lightly.

All the girls turned towards the door as they heard, "I'm right here."

As soon as Gabriella looked into those piercing blue eyes, everything went black.


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Gabriella opened her eyes and tried to remember where she was. For some reason, she was lying in a bed. She realized she was in the guest bedroom at the Evans' mansion. She looked around the room and recognized Sharpay's face. "Shar?" she croaked, her mouth dry.

"Oh my God, Gabs!" Sharpay reached down to smooth her friend's hair away from her forehead. "We were all so scared!"

"What happened?"

"You fainted. You took a pretty big fall," Sharpay said, tears in her eyes. "You came this close to hitting your head on one of the patio tables. We were all so worried. We tried to fan you, shake you, anything to wake you up. You wouldn't stir."

"But how did I get here?" she wondered. She knew her friend wasn't strong enough to pick her up and bring her to the guest bedroom on the third floor.

"The guys brought you up here."

"What guys? Zeke? Ryan?" She wanted to know.

"Oh boy," Sharpay said under her breath. "Honey, do you remember anything before you fainted?"

Gabriella closed her eyes and tried to remember. Oh yeah, she thought, we were all standing and talking to Chad Danforth. And then she remembered. The purest blue eyes she had ever seen. Gabriella gasped. "Oh. My. God. Did I just faint in front of Troy Bolton?"

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but you did. They were both worried and brought you up here."

"What? Sharpay, I'm practically naked and Troy saw me like this?"

Sharpay gave her friend an annoyed look. "Sweetie, I'm sure a little bikini is not all Troy has seen you in, I'm sure he's seen you in less. Don't worry about it. They were both gentlemen. We covered you in a towel as they moved you up here. Everyone's worried. I'll go tell them you're up."

"But please don't let anyone in to see me. I think I need some time to rest."

Sharpay leaned down and kissed her friend on the forehead. "We were all really worried, Gabs." She said quietly. "Especially Troy."

"Thanks for the concern. I'm really okay now. I think everything was all getting to me and as soon as I saw Troy, everything went spinning and I got too anxious, I think."

"Sweetie, this is between you and me, and I will only say this once. You can be mad all you want, but we kept it from you for a reason."

"What?" She said weakly. "I'm not sure I can take anymore surprises."

"Well, this is another one." Sharpay sighed before continuing. "Troy has never stopped loving you."

Gabriella looked at Sharpay and shrieked, "What?"

"Exactly that. He's never stopped, Gabs. As far as I'm concerned, Zeke says he's been miserable. We all kept any news or stories about you from each other. We all made a pact." Sharpay said, looking away from her friends confused face.

"Wait a minute. All this time you knew that Troy is still in love with me and you kept it away from me?" Gabriella could feel the tears coming.

"We wanted to protect you both. Keep you from hurting each other. We were only doing what we thought was best. We love you Gabs and we just couldn't see either of you going through all that pain again."

"Did it ever occur to you that things might not end for us if we had just let fate do its' thing? It's when people interfere." Sharpay wanted to argue, but Gabriella raised a hand to silence her, "I'm not saying you guys interfered, Shar. I know I am as much to blame for all of it. I let him walk away from me. He told me he wanted to be with me and only me, and I let him go." Gabriella sat up in the bed and put her face in her hands. She could feel the tears in her palms.

"Honey, you did what you thought was right. Now is your chance to do something about it. If you love Troy, and I know you do, you fight and get him back."

"Fight? Does it have to be that hard?"

"Zeke told me that Troy's got a girlfriend. He's been dating her for almost a year now. Another teacher at East High."

"How can he love me, yet be with someone else?"

Sharpay sighed and took her friends face in her hands. "Gabriella, how can you?"

Gabriella nodded. "I know. I'm horrible. And Eric told me he loved me last night."

"What? Eric loves you? Girl, that is too much. What did you say?"

"I said nothing. He said he would wait for me when I'm ready."

"And are you?"

Gabriella shook her head and buried her face in her hands again. Sharpay reached out and held her friend. "It's okay, sweetie. It'll be okay."

"What am I going to do? I don't think I'm ready to see Troy at all, much less talk to him. Please keep him away from me Sharpay. You promise?"

Sharpay stared at her friend's face for a while before answering. "If that's what you want, I promise to keep Troy away from you. I'll keep my word." Sharpay couldn't help but feel regret as she made her promise to Gabriella.

* * *

Troy couldn't believe his luck. Sure, he showed up, and for what? To see Gabriella faint at the very sight of him. He felt awful. They were all seated around the pool making small talk, all concerns towards Gabriella. Nonetheless, he was awe-struck when he saw her. She was still gorgeous as ever. Over the years, her maturity had refined her beauty. Her dark hair had been up in a loose bun, with loose curly tendrils framing her face. He got lost in her brown eyes as they locked on his. He swore time stood still as they stared at each other. And then she fainted.

He instantly reached out to grab her, and so did Chad. They got to her in time before her head hit the patio table. As she was lying on the ground and they were trying to wake her up, he was scared and concerned. It had been about an hour ago that he and Chad had brought her up to the guest bedroom. Everyone was trying to act normal, but things weren't. He wanted more than anything to sit by her bedside and wait for her to wake up.

"You okay, man?" Chad asked.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just worried is all."

"That was pretty scary. Poor Gabi." Chad shook his head sadly.

"I know. I feel awful. I'm sure it was my fault that she fainted. I should've just waited until tonight to come over. I knew this was a bad idea."

"Hoops, don't beat yourself up about it. You were excited when I told you she was here and Taylor invited us over. It's not your fault. Things happen."

"Well, I still feel awful. I just want her to wake up. Maybe I should just go. I don't want to cause her anymore pain."

"Troy, are you listening to yourself?" Chad asked his friend. "You are not to blame. Stop beating yourself up. I'm sure Gabriella will be okay."

"I don't know, man. I just feel so awful."

"Do you think Gabriella would want you to feel this way? You know she wouldn't. Stop blaming yourself."

"Maybe you're right. I just want her to be okay."

"And she will be. Just relax." Chad gave Troy another look. "So, how was it seeing her again after all these years?"

Troy could feel his cheeks getting red. He looked at his friend and sighed, "Like the best feeling in the world. I could always picture the way she looked, but seeing her right in front of me was beyond words."

Chad smiled. "I know what you mean." Then shyly, he added, "I felt that way, too, when I ran into Taylor this morning."

"Dude, that's great. It looks like you guys have a lot of catching up to do."

"Yeah, Tay is great. I just didn't realize what I had been missing for a long time."

"Really Chad, I think it's great if you and Taylor reconnect. She's an awesome person."

"I know. Being in L.A. sometimes can really get to you. Yeah, I'm in the NBA and go to the best parties and restaurants in town, but after awhile, it can be lonely, too. All the women I date are superficial and only with me for my status. When I was with Taylor this morning; in the brief 15 minutes we talked, I felt she was genuine and we talked about the real world. I realize I've missed that. And most importantly, I've missed her."

Troy looked at Chad and gave his friend a big smile and started to laugh. "See, this is what happens when women like Gabriella and Taylor are in our lives. We start gossiping like school girls and have all this emotional talk. I think we both need to shot some hoops to shake off this Dr. Phil session."

"You're right, my man. Let's go shoot some hoops in the water."

And with that Troy and Chad jumped into the pool and started a game of one-on-one in the water. After a few minutes, Taylor, Zeke, and Ryan joined them as well. They were all laughing and enjoying themselves.

Just then Sharpay came sauntering out to the pool area. "Hey, everyone! Good news! Gabriella's awake and she's okay. She's going to rest for now. So, we'll see her at the BBQ in a few hours." Sharpay sauntered over to her chaise and lied down. Taylor got out of the pool and joined her.

Troy decided to get out of the pool and dry himself off. He walked over to the two girls and sat down next to Taylor. "Sharpay, is she really okay?"

It looked like he had interrupted their conversation. Sharpay shot him a look of annoyance. "Yes, Bolton, she's fine."

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen." He offered.

"Why do you think it has anything to do with you?" Sharpay snapped back. Taylor gave Troy a sympathetic look.

"Hey, Sharpay, I'm not the bad guy here. I really am concerned for Gabriella. It's the reason I came over with Chad. I wanted to talk to her before the BBQ tonight."

"Has it occurred to you that maybe Gabriella doesn't want to talk to you? She has a boyfriend, you know. You lost your chance years ago."

"Hey Shar," Taylor interjected. Sharpay shot her a look.

Sharpay continued without letting Taylor get a word in. "Besides Troy, what did you expect to happen? That Gabriella would run into your arms and everything would be back to normal? Life's not that easy. So do her and all of us a favor, just leave her alone."

Troy was irritated and annoyed with the things Sharpay was saying. "Don't you think Gabriella should be the one that decides if she wants to talk to me?"

"Oh, believe me, she has. She's already told me not to leave her alone with you. Now, what does that tell you?" Sharpay pursed her lips, as if to say, _take that, you creep._

Troy just sat there dumbfounded, shocked at what Sharpay had just told him. He didn't want them to see how upset he was, so he just shrugged his shoulders, got up and walked away. "I'm leaving now. Thanks for having me over." He said over his shoulders. How could he have been so stupid? All this time he was convinced that she would be happy to see him and want to talk. Sharpay just confirmed that Brie wanted nothing more than for him to leave her alone. But he knew he couldn't do that. He had waited all this time and now was his chance to tell her how he felt.

He walked over to Chad and Zeke to tell them he was going home. He promised he'd be back in 3 hours for the BBQ. He just needed to leave and clear his mind. He walked into the mansion and was almost on his way out the front door, when he took a look up towards the third floor and decided to act. He ran up the three flights of stairs and stopped right outside the guest room Gabriella was staying in. He was just about to knock on the door when he heard her voice.

"I know, I miss you, too." He could hear her saying to someone on her phone, most likely her boyfriend. The one that everyone kept pointing out to him, he thought with annoyance.

He continued to listen even though he knew eavesdropping was never a good thing.

"Yeah, it's been fun seeing everyone so far. I didn't realize how much I missed everyone and Albuquerque. I've never felt more at home." He smiled as he heard her call Albuquerque home. He knew she had moved around a lot and changed schools every year. He knew that Albuquerque was home to him with her here.

"Yeah, there's a big BBQ tonight. The gang will be here and so will all the parents. It'll be nice to see everyone again. Who knows what kind of crazy will go on tonight?" She was giggling and to Troy, it was the best thing he had heard in a long while. Her laugh was so infectious, just like everything else about her.

"Okay, I understand you have to go. Yes, I love you, too. Talk to you later." Troy felt his heart stopped. She loved him? He rested his palms against the frame of the door and hung his head. It was easier knowing that she had a boyfriend, but to hear her say those three words out loud to another guy besides him killed him. Now he knew more than ever that he had to let her go. She was happy, he could see it now. He couldn't just ruin that, could he? Her happiness was all that he ever wanted for Brie. If she was happy with her boyfriend then he would leave her be. Hadn't he promised the guys that he would? He stared at the door one last time and turned around and walked back down the stairs and out the front door. _I've lost her forever_, he thought with sadness. He got into his jeep and laid his head on the steering wheel. He wanted to do nothing but scream at the top of his lungs. And that was what he was going to do. He started the engine and headed over to the one place where he knew he could do that.


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

After getting off the phone with her mother, Gabriella realized more than ever how much she missed her. Her mother always knew the right things to say to put her mind at ease. She would hold Gabriella in her arms and told her everything would be okay. If only her mom were here at the moment, she would feel a lot better.

She thought back to the request she had made of Sharpay. She had meant it, hadn't she? She couldn't talk to Troy, not at this time. She thought she was ready, but at the first sight of him, she had fainted? How would she even find the words to say anything? _You need to get a grip of yourself, _thought Gabriella. How could one person affect her so much?

She decided to get up and unpack her suitcase. No use just lying around, she thought. She wandered over to the huge closet and saw a black dressing bag hanging inside the door. There was note in Sharpay's hand writing: "For you Gabs. Wear it proud!" Gabriella felt excited as she unzipped the bag and found the most gorgeous dress she had ever laid her eyes on. It was the emerald green and the dress had a vertically shirred bodice and a bead trimmed strapless square neckline and an empire waist. The ruched texture of the dress would show off her figure greatly. She had to thank Sharpay for this. To complete the look, Sharpay had even added a pair of silver Manolo Blahniks, just like the pair Carrie Bradshaw had stolen at baby shower on an episode of _Sex and the City._ Gabriella contemplated on whether she should try the dress on and couldn't resist.

She slipped the dress on and stared at herself in the full length mirror. The dress definitely fit her like a glove. She felt sexy and chic. She decided to take her hair out of the bun and let the curls drape around her shoulders. This was definitely the look she was going for. Maybe Sharpay was right when she said one should always look their best at the reunion because there was no way another look could beat what Sharpay picked out. She had never thought about wearing green before and the color looked great against her tan skin. She needed the girls' opinion. She knew she could just walk down to the pool area but she still didn't feel comfortable leaving the bedroom, just in case she ran into Troy. She called Sharpay on her cell.

"Gabriella? Is everything okay?" Sharpay asked as soon as she saw Gabriella's photo light up on her pink Blackberry.

"Everything's fine. I found the dress in my closet. It's perfect! I want your and Taylor's opinion ASAP." She said excitedly.

"Are you sure you want us to come up? Don't you need to rest, sweetie?"

"I'm fine. I promise. Besides, my mom called me and I haven't been able to go back to sleep. So come on up here."

"Okay, on our way."

Gabriella smiled as she hung up. She needed the perfect accessory to go with the dress. She went to her suitcase and pulled out her simple, white jewelry pouch. She dumped the contents onto the dresser and looked for the perfect necklace. She was grabbing the simple white gold necklace with a small diamond pendant, the one her mom had given her for graduation, when she realized the necklace was interlocked with another one. She was working on untangling them when she immediately recognized the silver "T". She gasped and dropped the necklace as she felt tears start to come out. How did the necklace get there? She remembered putting it away years ago. Never to look at it again and here it was staring at her right in the face. Troy had given her the necklace on the very last day of their junior year as a promise to her. It was one of the sweetest things he had done for her.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't hear Taylor or Sharpay as they walked in. "Come on, Gabs! Give us a twirl!" Sharpay called out.

Gabriella turned around and faced her friends. As soon as they saw the look and tears on her face, they both reacted and ran to her.

"Gabi, what's wrong?" Taylor asked.

"I found this in my jewelry case." She held up the necklace with the "T" on it.

"Oh, my God. How did it get there? I thought you got rid of it years ago." Sharpay asked.

"I did. I put it away in this shoebox with all things Troy." Gabriella sighed as Sharpay and Taylor gave her a lock at the mention of a Troy shoebox, "Give me a break guys. I couldn't let myself throw anything away that Troy gave me. Trust me, I tried."

"How would it just end up amongst all your jewelry?" Taylor asked with concern.

"I have no idea. I don't recall going through the box in the last few years. It's just been sitting up on a shelf in my closet. How weird is that?"

"Maybe it's not weird, maybe it's fate," Sharpay said, giving Gabriella a look.

"No more talk about fate. I don't know what came over me earlier. Let's just leave the subject of fate alone, please."

Taylor and Sharpay exchanged a glance and shrugged their shoulders. They both knew there was no point in arguing with Gabriella once she was determined and had her mind set.

"Alright Gabs, we'll leave fate out of this. What are you going to do with it now?" Sharpay asked.

"I should just throw it away, right? If I'm to move on, I should let go of it." Gabriella said firmly.

Taylor put a hand on Gabriella's shoulder. "Are you really sure that's what you want to do?"

Gabriella nodded. "I think so. I have been thinking and I need to focus on what's ahead of me, not the past. I'm going to be strong and leave Albuquerque with a clear mind."

"Gabs, you might not want to hear this, but we're going to say it anyway." Sharpay grabbed her hand and looked at her with concern, "Troy was devastated when I told him you didn't want to talk to him, much less be alone with him. Are you sure about this? Because I hated the way I spoke to him. I was such a bitch."

"I can't talk to him. I just can't. I'm not ready, nor do I think I ever will be. Maybe there's a reason why we stopped our relationship. Maybe this is how life is supposed to play out for the both of us. He goes his way and I go mine." Gabriella said, trying to sound brave.

"What? Go your own ways and be miserable?" Taylor scoffed. "I know you say you're not ready, but I think you're just scared to admit what might happen."

Gabriella sighed and took a long look at her friends. "Why is everyone trying to push us together? What's with all the pressure? If I'm not ready, then I'm not ready. And leave it at that. I'm starting to think the reunion is a bad idea after all. Maybe I should just change my flight and leave before anything else happens."

Sharpay rolled her eyes and placed a firm hand on Gabriella's arm. "Gabs, stop being a drama queen. You know Tay is right that's why you're getting so defensive. Honey, it's okay to admit if you're scared. We'll be here for you no matter what. And we'll leave the matter alone about you and Troy. We'll make sure and tell the others, too. You decide what you want to do. No more pushing from us, we promise."

"I'm just so confused." Gabriella cried. "It's like a part of me wants to talk to him, but then there's a part of me that's fighting it. It has to mean something, doesn't it? I thought that the first time I saw Troy I would know exactly what I want, but I'm now more confused than ever. Besides, it's not fair to Eric. Not after he told me he loves me."

Taylor put an arm around her friend. "We're sorry you are going through this, we really are. I wouldn't know what to do either. I think it's just a matter of what your heart wants."

"At this point, I don't think it knows what it wants." Gabriella said sadly. "But I think I'm pretty sure I still don't want to talk to Troy. I have to figure things out on my own."

"I know I promised not to push, but I have to say something else. You have to at least have a conversation with Troy. At least hear what he has to say. Eric's said his piece. It would only be fair." Sharpay offered.

Gabriella slowly nodded her head. "I guess I have to agree with that. It's only fair. I'm not saying it'll be tonight, but it'll be sometime before I head back to Boston."

Taylor smiled. "Sounds fair to me. Now, wipe those tears and show off this fabulous dress."

Gabriella gave both her friends a hug and wiped the tears from her eyes. She stood up and smoothed the dress over her body. She turned around to give the girls the whole view.

"Wow. I swear that dress was made for your body. I have never seen you more fit and toned lady." Sharpay said after letting out a whistle. "You are a hottie!"

"It's all thanks to yoga," Gabriella said, feeling herself blush. She was usually so modest with her looks that whenever people praised her about it, she felt self conscious.

"I'll have to make sure and give Jillian a big bonus or something. When I gave her a call and sent your measurements and picture over, I didn't think she would find anything this great, but I'm obviously wrong. The whole look is fabulous."

"I definitely agree. Now let's just hope I look as good as you two tomorrow night. After the way you described your dress Shar, I'm going to need to be in top form with you two." Taylor joked.

"Taylor, you're gorgeous and you know it." Sharpay teased her friend.

Sharpay took a look at her Dior watch. "Oh, wow. It's already 5:30. Where has the time gone? Anyway, we need to get ready for the BBQ. I'm going to go check on Zeke and see if he's got everything he needs. See you both in a bit."

Once they were left alone, Taylor walked over to her friend. "Gabriella, are you really okay?"

"I think I will be. Thanks for being such a good friend."

"Of course. Always. Well, I will leave you alone to get ready then. See you down by the pool in a while?"

"Sounds like a plan. See you in a bit." As Taylor left the room, Gabriella took the dress off and hung it back on the hanger and into its' garment bag. She went through the clothes she brought and decided on a simple periwinkle blue V-neck dress. She brushed her hair and decided to leave her curly locks down. She applied some lip gloss on and felt her look was complete. She slipped her feet into a pair of black kitten heels. She took one last look in the mirror and decided she would be brave tonight. Perhaps brave enough to face Troy Bolton? We'll see, she thought, with a small smile on her face. She headed out to the pool area to see if help was needed.

* * *

Troy was looking out at the expansive green hills and was struck by the beauty of his city. He had driven the extra thirty minutes out to the Lava Springs Country Club so that he could clear his mind as he walked around the golf course. He had also screamed like he wanted to. He didn't care whether the other members were annoyed or not. He knew this was the one place where he could do it. He remembered the summer they all worked here; the summer before their senior year. It was all the same summer that he had almost lost Gabriella because he had been so focused on the U of A scholarship that he hadn't realized how he was treating everyone.

Just thinking about Gabriella made his heart ache. He had ignored the fact that she had a boyfriend, but to hear her tell him that she loved him was the worst feeling in the world. He wasn't the type of person to steal someone else's girlfriend, was he? He hadn't even told Chad or Zeke or Jason any of this. He knew what they would all say. They would tell him this was the sign that he had to let her go. She was happy with someone else. He couldn't break that.

And then Sharpay had told him that Brie didn't want to talk to him. But he knew in his heart, he had to talk to her. At least just to tell her how he felt. Maybe she didn't even have to say anything; he could do all the talking. _Yeah, right_, he thought, _and be a complete loser?_ He had been so close to her today and it had given him some hope. He just had to overcome all the obstacles.

He knew he would have a hard time of getting Gabriella alone. He was sure Taylor and Sharpay would stick to her side like glue tonight. He was sure they were determined to keep him away from her. Maybe he could convince Taylor to help him. While Sharpay had said all the harsh words earlier, it seemed that Taylor was uncomfortable with it and he had noticed the sympathetic looks she gave him. He would have to try, wouldn't he? Maybe he could convince Chad to help in on the plan as well. _Who am I kidding? _Troy thought. He was all alone in this. They all obviously thought he and Gabriella were better off apart. Troy felt defeated. He just couldn't win, could he? The moment he learned that Gabriella would be in Albuquerque, he had also learned that she had a boyfriend that she loved.

No matter what, he had already decided that he would fight for her. He had to tell her how he felt at least. And with that, Troy walked out of the Lava Springs Country Club and got into his jeep and drove back to the Evans' mansion. It was definitely BBQ time. He would have to face his fear of rejection sooner or later anyway.

* * *

Author's Note: Please go to my profile page to find a link to the dress that Gabriella is wearing to the reunion. Just imagine it in a emerald green jewel color. :D


	8. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

On the drive back to Evans' mansion, Troy had come up with perfect idea to tell Gabriella how he felt. It was the one thing he could do, just in case she didn't want to talk to him. _At least, this way, _he thought, _I'll get my message out to her, no matter what._ There was no way he could get the plan to work without the help of Chad and Taylor. He just had to convince them to help him. He knew he had been at the country club a little longer than he should. He was sure by this time everyone was already at the BBQ.

He knew his parents would be happy to see Gabriella, but he also knew that they would have concerns about their son. Since Gabriella he had never really brought another girlfriend to meet his parents. Sure, Julia had met them a few times but even his parents saw that his heart was elsewhere. He was still shocked, of course, by how well Julia took the break up. He felt like a jerk for leading her on for so long, but he was happy that she still wanted to be friends.

As he pulled into the driveway, he knew the first thing he had to do was get Chad and Taylor alone so he could tell them his plan. Troy checked himself in his mirror to make sure he looked decent. His brown hair was slightly getting long, but it was his trademark look. He got out of the jeep and stretched his legs for a bit. He made sure his appearance was decent. He was wearing khaki shorts and a button-down short sleeved light blue shirt. Troy made his way to front door of the mansion.

A sign on the door told him to make his way in and he did. He walked his way through the living area to the back patio and the pool area. He smiled as he saw the gang together, sitting at the tables or standing around, with plates of burgers and hot dogs in front of them. His parents, along with other parents sat at their own table having their own reunion. If only Gabriella's mother was here, it would complete their circle.

"Unco Twoy!" Adorable Melody Cross cried out as she ran her tiny body over to him to envelope him in a big hug.

Troy picked up the toddler and gave her a big kiss on the cheek. "Who's the prettiest girl in Albuquerque?"

"Me!" She shouted with a giggle.

"I want a hug, too!" Nathan Cross yelled, tugging on the bottom of his shirt.

Troy put Melody back on the ground and gave Nathan a big hug. "Hey Buddy! Did you shot any hoops today?"

"Yep. And I make all the shots!" Nathan said proudly.

"Give me a high five then," Troy said, sticking his palm up in the air. Nathan giggled as he jumped up and down trying to smack Troy's palms with his little one.

By this time, his interaction with the children had drawn everyone's attention. He smiled sheepishly and apologized for being late.

Zeke came over and patted him on the back. "It's all good, Bolton. Just glad to see you here. Let's get you some food." Zeke walked with Troy over to the grill to make his friend a plate. As soon as they were alone, Zeke turned to him and said, "You had us worried, man. Sharpay told me what she said to you and Chad and I thought you weren't going to come back."

"To be honest, I almost thought about not coming, but then I decided I would be positive about the situation. Sure, Gabriella's got a boyfriend, but who's to say we can't be friends."

Zeke gave Troy a long look. "Troy, you have to leave it alone. I feel for you, man, I do. But you have got to stop trying to force anything with Gabi. Trust me, when she's ready, she'll come to you."

"I hear you, Zeke. I get it. But I at least want to get a message out to Gabriella. There's no harm in that, is there?"

"What kind of message?"

"Well, I was hoping that Sharpay would bring out the karaoke machine and we could all sing."

"What? You want to karaoke? Troy, you're losing it. Besides, didn't we all agree to stop singing once we completed the Senior Year musical?"

"Ha ha. Very funny, Zeke. Can't you help me out?"

Zeke gave Troy a smile. "Actually, Sharpay was already insisting that she bring the machine out and we all sing. So, you and my girl think a lot alike."

"This is better than I thought. Now all I have to do is pick the perfect song to sing." The truth was that Troy already knew what he wanted to sing. The lyrics were perfect and described how he felt about Gabriella. "Alright, let's get back to the group before they start to wonder how long it takes to grab a burger." Troy joked. He grabbed the plate of food from Zeke and made his way over to the tables. Everyone greeted him as he approached; well, everyone except Gabriella, who by this time was not at the table. He took a seat next to Kelsi and tried to look around for the dark haired beauty.

He finally spotted her. She had her back to him and was talking to Mrs. McKessie. _If only she would look at me_, he thought. Now that he was closer to her than ever, he wanted more than anything to grab her and hold on to her for as long as he could. Suddenly, he felt her head tilting to the side until he could see the profile of her face. She turned her head a little bit more until her brown eyes met his very blue ones. And before he could smile or gesture, she turned her attention back to Taylor's mother. Troy turned his attention back to the group and their conversation, unable to keep the smile off his face. She had purposefully looked for him and she didn't faint this time. He would be okay after all.

* * *

When Gabriella had first come downstairs to join Taylor and Sharpay, she hadn't expected any guests to be there besides everyone from the afternoon. She tried to look for Troy, but noticed he was no longer around. She wanted to ask her friends about where he was, but decided against it because they would make assumptions and try to analyze it. But the truth was that she was kind of hoping he was still around. Even if they talked or not, she kind of liked the idea that he was around. Besides, she couldn't help but stare at him if he was present. In the brief moment that she had looked into his clear blue eyes, she recognized that his features were more defined and he was as handsome as ever. He looked athletic and in shape and she had noticed how nice and toned his arms looked in the short sleeved shirt he was wearing. Even though her feelings were conflicted at the moment, she couldn't deny that she felt butterflies in her stomach just by being in the mere presence of Troy Bolton. She didn't know why she couldn't admit any of this to Taylor or Sharpay. She knew her friends liked Eric, but at the same time it almost seemed as if they were conspiring to get her and Troy together – which surely didn't make sense because from what Sharpay told her, it seemed that the whole gang had been keeping them apart.

As she walked out onto patio, a voice called out to her. She turned towards the voice and gasped a little bit as she looked at the couple calling her name. "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Bolton," she said shyly as she made her way over to them where Mr. Bolton gave her a big hug and then Mrs. Bolton did the same. Only she held on to Gabriella a bit longer.

"Oh Sweetie, none of this Mr. and Mrs. Bolton; just call us Jack and Lucille." Troy's mom told her. "It is so good to see you Gabriella. Let me look at you." And she stepped back to admire Gabriella, lifting Gabriella's face from side-to-side with her hand. "You are even more beautiful than the last time we saw you. How could we let so much time go by?" She had tears in her eyes as she looked at her son's ex-girlfriend.

Gabriella didn't know what to say. She just shrugged her shoulders and muttered, "I guess that's how life works. But, I agree, it is really good to see you both. I know it's been a long time. Once my mom left Albuquerque, I guess there was no real point for me to come back here."

"Gabriella, how can you say that? You could've come back anytime and any of us would have been glad to let you stay." Lucille told her, wrapping Gabriella in another hug. "We've missed you so much. And your mother, as well. How is she these days? I was saddened when we lost touch, but things just got so busy for her and I understood that."

"I'm sure she misses you, too. But she's doing really well. I just talked to her this afternoon. She's actually still in Palo Alto. She never transferred after she relocated there, surprisingly. So, it's become home to her, probably because she got married 4 years ago to a really good and decent man."

"We're glad to hear that, Gabriella." Jack said. "Now, we want to know what you have been doing for the last decade."

"Well, I have been living in Boston for the past few years. After Stanford, I got into Harvard Law."

"Oh my, that is impressive. Harvard? Your mother must have been really proud." Jack said.

"You bet she was. She kept going on and on about it. It was embarrassing, really. So right after graduation, I moved out to the east coast and have been there ever since. I completed law school about 3 years ago and now work for one of the top firms in the city. I love it. I really do."

Lucille smiled at her and reached out to squeeze Gabriella's hand. "It sure sounds like you're doing really well for yourself."

Gabriella nodded, feeling at ease with Troy's parents. They were both really great and she was glad to reconnect with them.

"So, Gabriella, it looks like you and Troy were in Boston at the same time. Did you ever get a chance to get together?" Jack asked. "Troy never tells us things anymore."

"To be honest, I'm not sure he knew I was in Boston. I think he just learned about that from the guys last night. As much as I've missed the both of you, Troy and I haven't talked to each other since our sophomore year of college."

Lucille softly said, "We were afraid that would be your answer. I just thought that at some point you two would have reconnected again or something. At least, that's what we hoped."

"Well, I guess the reunion is a good place to start then." Gabriella told them, trying to keep them happy. But the more she thought about it, she believed the words too.

"Well, dear, we won't keep you much longer since I'm sure your friends want to talk to you. How long are you in Albuquerque for?" Lucille wanted to know.

"I leave Monday morning."

"Maybe you can come over for brunch on Sunday? We'd love it." Lucille looked at Gabriella, her face filled with hope.

She didn't want to hurt Lucille or Jack's feelings, so she told them, "Sunday would be great. I'd love to spend more time with you both."

"It's a plan. We'll see you at 1:00. Have a fun time this evening." Jack said, bending down to give her a peck on the cheek. Then Lucille and Jack headed over to Ryan and Sharpay's parents.

It wasn't long before all the guests showed up and everyone greeted one another. Zeke had fired up the grill and was grilling the burgers and hot dogs. Bottles of beer and glasses of wine were passed around as well. Gabriella was having a great time reconnecting with everyone. It felt like the old days back at East High. She was glad they were all so at ease with one another. She was glad everyone was together. Everyone, except one person, she observed. She noticed that Troy wasn't at the BBQ. She knew she should just ask someone where he was; she hoped it wasn't her fault that he wasn't there. Maybe what Sharpay said to him had really hurt his feelings. Gabriella felt awful thinking about what she said earlier.

All of a sudden she saw the dark haired pig tails of Jason and Martha's daughter running her little legs over to a figure, she immediately recognized as Troy. The little girl was giggling infectiously as Troy picked her up in his arms and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She felt herself smile as she looked at the image in front of her. It was definitely one of the sweetest things she had seen in a while. She noticed Nathan tugging on Troy's shirt and then Troy bent down to give him a hug. Now, it looked like Troy was teasing Nathan because the 5-year-old was jumping up and down trying to slap Troy's palm with his. Then Troy apologized for his tardiness and Zeke walked over to Troy and they made their way over to the grill to grab him some food.

Gabriella couldn't help but stare at Troy as he walked away with Zeke. She could feel her cheeks redden as her eyes lingered on his butt just a tad too long. It was so long that she felt someone elbow her. "Ouch, Shar, what was that for?"

Sharpay giggled and smiled at her friend. "Why Gabs, if I didn't know any better, I think you were just checking out Troy Bolton's ass!" She leaned in with a whisper.

"I was not. Thank you very much." Gabriella tried to tell her friend, but she knew her face was even redder now. "Besides, shhhh, I don't want the whole table to know."

"Know what?" Taylor piped in.

Sharpay laughed once more. "Oh nothing, Taylor, I was just noticing that Gabs here was admiring the view." She said with a wink.

Taylor immediately caught on to what her two friends were up to. "Oh, I see. Care to share how much you like the view Gabi?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes at her friends, "Ha ha, very funny. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find an adult I can talk to." Gabriella got up and brushed some crumbs off her dress and made her way over to Mrs. McKessie. Right before she got up, she noticed Troy and Zeke making their way back to the table.

Sharpay and Taylor looked at one another with a smile. "I think Miss Montez is keeping something from us." Sharpay said.

"I'm sure we'll find out about it sooner or later." Taylor nodded giving Sharpay and low high-five. "There may be hope for those two after all."

"Definitely. Oh, I better get Ryan to help me set up the karaoke machine. We are going to have so much fun!"

Gabriella was telling Mrs. McKessie about one of her favorite places to dine in Boston when she felt like someone was staring at her. In her heart, she obviously knew who it would be. Gabriella slowly turned her head towards the table until her eyes looked right into the beautiful blue ones of Troy Bolton. She could feel herself blush as she noticed he was starting to smile at her and she turned her attention back to Taylor's mom before she could see that smile. She definitely did not want to faint again. She wasn't sure how much longer she could stand all the staring going on between them. The butterflies were definitely there for sure.


	9. Chapter Eight

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the songs mentioned in this chapter. There is no copyright infringement intended. The lyrics to to the song do not belong to me.**

**On another note - after listening to the song over and over, I thought it would be the perfect song for Troy to sing. I hope you agree!**

* * *

Chapter Eight

Once the karaoke machine was set up on the make-shift stage that overlooked the pool, the group had decided to make a game of it, which was all part of Troy's plan. When Gabriella had been talking to Mrs. McKessie and some of the other parents, Troy took advantage of his situation and told Taylor about his plan. It was his idea to elect Taylor as the official MC and had her agree to have everyone put their names in a hat – Ryan was wearing a cream colored beret – and they were now using it. He wanted Taylor to rig the drawing so that he would perform fifth. The group had also decided to make it fun by having each person write down the names of 3 songs and they placed the song titles in a big glass vase. Taylor's objective would be to draw a name and then a song at random – then that person had no choice but to perform.

Troy had given Taylor a confused look when he had told her his plan and she immediately agreed to help him.

"What?" Taylor asked.

"I'm just confused as to why you want to help me, I guess. Last night, the guys told me you all made a pact to keep me and Brie apart."

Taylor looked away from Troy for a moment. "Well, to be honest, I'm starting to wonder if we made a mistake. I feel awful, Troy. We were all trying to protect you both, but maybe we were just scared that if you broke up again, neither of you would cope from it. And who's to say you would break up again anyway. We were wrong to assume that."

"I'm not mad at you guys. I think I'm starting to understand why you guys did what you had to do. Trust me, I was a wreck after the break up and immediately after Gabriella told me she didn't want us to be friends anymore. I don't think Chad, Zeke, or Jason could cope with my feelings. I wasn't sure I could."

Taylor reached out and lightly patted his hand, "Trust me, Troy. Gabi was a mess, too. That girl may act like she's strong, but she was broken."

Troy winced at Taylor's words. "I feel so awful about it, about everything. I should've put up a fight when she told me to leave her dorm room 8 years ago. That was the biggest mistake I ever made."

Taylor looked at Troy's face and saw how sincere he looked and it made her smile. "I'm an optimist, Troy. I believe if you get Gabriella back that it'll be forever for you both. Am I right?"

Troy nodded. "If I get the chance to be with her again, I will never let her go. I have missed her ever since that day 8 years ago. You can ask any of the guys. I haven't been in a serious relationship since Brie. She's the one that I want."

Taylor smiled, "That's what I want to hear Bolton. But, aren't you dating someone?"

"Not anymore. After the guy's told me Gabriella was going to be at the reunion, I went over to Julia's and ended things. I want a clean slate when I tell her how I feel. I want to be available for her." He was glad he was talking to Taylor about his feelings; it felt so good to get his thoughts out. But then he remembered that Gabriella wasn't single. "Taylor, I know that Gabriella's got a boyfriend. If she's completely happy and 100 percent in love with him, then I promise to leave her alone. Her happiness is all I want."

Taylor pondered Troy's words before giving him a reply. "Honestly, I don't think she's over you either."

Troy was overjoyed by Taylor's words. "I have a chance after all."

Taylor nodded and leaned towards Troy, and in a quiet voice, she said "Bolton, make me proud and fight for your girl, okay? I will support you no matter what."

Troy was touched by Taylor's friendship, "It means a lot, Taylor, that you're helping me. Let's finalize our plans. So, here's what I want you to help me with, I want to be the fifth performer, so you'll pretend that you draw my name and you will also pretend to draw the song that I want to sing to Gabriella."

"Sounds easy enough. What song have you chosen?"

" "Far Away_"_ by Nickelback."

Taylor gasped and grabbed his hands. "That is so romantic. It's the perfect song to sing to her. I can't wait!"

Troy thought back to his conversation with Taylor. He felt optimistic that things would go the way he wanted it to. It was a start at least. They had listened to the first three singers and all had a great time and laugh. Sharpay's name had been drawn first and she did a really amazing performance of Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars." The next name that had been drawn was Chad's and he had to sing Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." That had to be one of the funniest performances they had ever seen because everyone was laughing so hard and loud. At one point, Zeke and Troy were practically rolling on the ground at Chad's peppy performance.

Throughout Sharpay and Chad's performance, he and Gabriella had made eye contact several times. She would always look away each time he caught her looking at him. But nonetheless, he was thrilled that she was sneaking glances at him. He loved the way she looked tonight. Her long dark curly hair was loose and hung past her shoulders. She looked so natural. And the blue color of her dress looked so nice against her tan skin. She was sitting right in front of the stage area so it would be the perfect spot to serenade her.

After Mr. and Mrs. Evans' names were drawn for a duet, they had to sing Sonny and Cher's "I Got You Babe." That had drawn laughs from the group as well. They were now watching Martha sing a lively version of Lynrd Skynrd's "Sweet Home Alabama." Melody and Nathan were dancing along as they watched their mother sing. Troy was starting to get nervous because Taylor would be calling his name soon. He had to be honest, it had been some time now since he sang in front of people. The last time he sang was when he played Link Larkin in "Hairspray" during his senior year at Cal. He was also nervous because pretty much the lyrics to "Far Away" were pretty realistic to his and Gabriella's situation. He would pretty much be professing his love to her and he would be doing it in front of all their friends and family.

"Let's all give Martha a big round of applause for such a wonderful performance. Now, I'm going to draw the next name and let's see who the lucky singer is." Taylor smiled widely for everyone. "I don't think we've heard this guy sing in a long time, let's give it up for Troy!"

Troy stood up and walked over to the monitor and grabbed the microphone. "Hey, everyone. Thanks for having me." Troy teased.

"Now, let's see what song Troy will sing for us tonight." Taylor put her hand in the vase and drew a folded up piece of paper, she unraveled it and then let out a gasp. "Troy will be singing one of my favorite songs, "Far Away" by Nickelback. Now, let's give him our attention."

Troy stared out into the crowd and cleared his throat. "Sorry, guys, but I'm very nervous."

"You're a superstar!" Zeke shouted while cheering.

"You love it!" Sharpay screamed. Chad and Jason were hooting and hollering as well.

Troy took a deep breath and looked for her. He looked at Gabriella and smiled. This time, instead of looking away, she gave him a small smile, which was enough to boost his confidence. As the music started for the song, Troy let himself go and sang along to the lyrics he already knew:

_This time, This place_

_Misused, Mistakes_

_Too long, Too late_

_Who was I to make you wait_

_Just one chance_

_Just one breath_

_Just in case there's just one left_

_Cause you know,_

_you know, you know_

As he had been singing the opening of the song, he had looked all around at his audience. It was the chorus that he wanted to sing to Gabriella and at this moment, he turned his attention towards her and as he was staring at her, he sang:

_That I love you_

_I have loved you all along_

_And I miss you_

_Been far away for far too long_

_I keep dreaming you'll be with me _

_and you'll never go_

_Stop breathing if_

_I don't see you anymore_

Troy noticed that Gabriella had looked down at her lap and was trying to not look up at him. He couldn't tell if she was sad or mad or happy, she just kept her head down, but he continued and made his way over to where she was sitting and got on one knee in front of her as he continued with the song:

_On my knees, I'll ask_

_Last chance for one last dance_

_'Cause with you, I'd withstand_

_All of hell to hold your hand_

_I'd give it all_

_I'd give for us_

_Give anything but I won't give up_

_'Cause you know, _

_you know, you know_

This time without a beat, Troy reached out and took Gabriella's hand, which forced her to look at him. As he stared into her brown eyes, he could see she was blushing.

_That I love you_

_I have loved you all along_

_And I miss you_

_Been far away for far too long_

_I keep dreaming you'll be with me _

_and you'll never go_

_Stop breathing if_

_I don't see you anymore_

_So far away_

_Been far away for far too long_

_So far away_

_Been far away for far too long_

_But you know, you know, you know_

_I wanted _

_I wanted you to stay_

_'Cause I needed_

_I need to hear you say_

_That I love you_

_I have loved you all along_

_And I forgive you_

_For being away for far too long_

_So keep breathing_

_'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore_

_Believe it_

_Hold on to me and never let me go_

_Keep breathing_

_Hold on to me and never let me go_

Troy was still holding Gabriella's hand as he sang the last two lines 2 more times. He squeezed her hand lightly and was surprised he was still on his knees in front of her. The instant they had touched hands, he had felt a jolt of electricity run through his body. He could feel the sparks hovering around them and hoped she felt the same way. He wanted her to know that he meant every word of the song he just sang. By now, he could see that Gabriella's eyes were watery. She was trying to shield her face away from him and let go of his hand as soon as applause erupted around them.

He blinked and forgot that he was surrounded by all their friends, their parents, and his parents. He looked towards his mom and dad and they were both smiling at him – his dad giving him thumbs up, his mom with tears in her eyes. Troy started to blush and looked over at his friends, Kelsi had a tissue and was dabbing at her eyes. Taylor was trying to hide her emotions as well. He looked at Sharpay and she was giving him the biggest smile and mouthed "good job" and winked. His buddies just smiled at him. He was glad they thought his performance was a hit, but it was Gabriella that he wanted a reaction from.

"Brie?"

She looked up at him slowly and turned to everyone, "I'm sorry, but all of a sudden I'm tired. Remember I'm on east coast time, so I've been up longer than I should." She avoided Troy's gaze and started heading towards the entrance into the house.

"Brie?" He called out in confusion.

This time she slowly turned around to face him and he could see the sadness in her eyes. "Oh yeah, great job Troy. I always liked your singing. Good night." She said robotically. Then she turned and ran into the house without a glance back at anyone.

He was confused. He knew they had shared a moment. The whole time he was singing to her, he knew she loved it. She held on to his hand as he held hers. She may have tried to avoid his gaze, but he saw the smile on her face. He saw her brown eyes light up with life.

"Hey everyone, let's give Troy another round of applause. And I agree with Gabriella, it's getting pretty late, so why don't we call it a night. We still have some big event ahead of us tomorrow night." Taylor said into her microphone.

As the parents said good night and made their way out, the group stayed behind. Jason and Martha apologized and said they should get their tired children home and left as well. Troy sat at the edge of the pool and dipped his feet into the cool water. He definitely needed to cool down after his soul searing performance.

Chad walked over to his friend and sat down next to him. "Man, Bolton, that was quite some performance."

Troy shrugged his shoulders. "It obviously didn't work out the way I thought it would. Look at how fast Gabriella got out of here."

Chad looked at his friend, "Bolton, I'm going to say this one more time. Stop beating yourself up about this. I'm sure right now, Gabriella's confused. You know she was never one for such attention. And the spotlight was pretty much on her."

"I know, Chad. I just thought she was feeling it, too. But now, I've just made a fool of myself in front of her, all of you, and my parents. I feel like such an idiot."

"It'll be okay, Troy. Just think about it this way, you at least got to say what you wanted to her, right? You got to show her how you feel. You should be happy. This could all still work in your favor."

Troy appreciated his friend's words. "Thanks, Chad. You always know how to turn something bad into a good thing. You're a good brother."

"You damn right I am, brother," Chad teased back. "Why don't we get out here and go shoot some hoops back at your place?"

"What about Taylor? Didn't you want to spend some time with her tonight?"

"Taylor's here all week, so we'll get together another time. Besides, she and Sharpay went to check on Gabi and I'm sure she'll be occupied until tomorrow. Let's go say bye to Zeke, Kels, and Ryan."

"Yeah, it's late. Hopefully we'll all talk more at the reunion tomorrow." Chad and Troy made their way over to say good night to Ryan, Kelsi, and Zeke. As Troy got into his jeep and made the drive back to his house, he couldn't get thoughts of Gabriella out of his mind. He had done it. He finally told her he loved her and that he never stopped. Perhaps he hadn't said them, but all the same, he had gotten his message out. He just hoped it would be enough to get her back. If he had to fight for her, he would do everything in his power to win. There was no denying that.


	10. Chapter Nine

**Author's Note: I had such a busy weekend that I didn't write this chapter until yesterday. I hope it's not too rushed and you enjoy the very first conversation between Troyella! Please send me reviews - I do appreciate them :D**

**

* * *

**

Chapter Nine

Gabriella was still in shock over what just happened 30 minutes ago. She couldn't believe that Troy had just serenaded her with one of the most romantic songs she could ever think of. It was just too much of a coincidence that Troy's name would be drawn and that specific song was drawn for him at random. She would have to speak to Taylor and Sharpay and investigate the situation further. Nonetheless, she had loved every minute of it. The minute that Troy started singing the beautiful lyrics she knew she was in trouble. She could never get over hearing Troy sing. It was what had brought them together New Years Eve 11 years ago. He always seemed so confident and full of life once he started singing.

When Troy had started singing the chorus to "Far Away" she felt embarrassed at first because it was such an intimate moment and also because it was being displayed in front of all their friends, and especially Lucille and Jack. When he took her hand in his, she had felt the sparks immediately. His touch still made her tremble and the feeling was great. She had felt awful once he finished and wanted a reaction from her. She knew she couldn't at that moment; she was too scared of what she would say or do. Instead, she said good night to everyone and ran from the pool area and straight up to the guest room like the big chicken she was. She felt awful; here Troy was basically confessing that he still loved her and wanted her to hold on to him. It was the grandest gesture that anyone could ever ask for, but she was still confused because back in Boston there was someone waiting for her.

She knew her feelings were conflicted. Seeing Troy again after all these years and he still made her heart flutter and get butterflies in her stomach. But she had been going out with Eric for a year now and that had to mean something, didn't it? If Taylor and Sharpay's observations were correct, she had deliberately ended all her previous relationships after 2 months. With Eric, she didn't want to stop seeing him and wanted to see if things would progress. Now, after a year of dating, she cared for him deeply, but did she love him? She knew she could grow to love him but if someone asked her at this moment if she did, could she say yes? In Gabriella's heart, she knew she couldn't say yes or no to that question. It was up in the air and shouldn't she be fair to Eric after he'd been so patient with her all this time. He told her he loved her. She couldn't just leave him because Troy also told her he loved her – in fact, that he never stopped.

It was true; she had missed him over the years. But maybe Troy was just a chapter in her adolescent life and Eric was her future; part of her adult life. Gabriella groaned as imagined what she just said. One thing was for sure, she was not getting any answers to these big questions in her life tonight or this weekend. Gabriella was just about to change out of her dress when she heard a soft knock at the door.

"Yes?" She asked hesitantly, afraid of who was outside her door.

"Gabs?" Sharpay asked, "Are you okay, sweetie? Tay and I are worried about you."

"Come on in," Gabriella said quietly. She waited as the door opened and her friends came into the room.

Gabriella had no idea that seeing her friends would make her cry and as soon as she saw the concerned looks on their faces, the tears started forming. She walked over and hugged them.

"Gabriella, I am so sorry," Taylor said. "I swear if I knew you'd be upset, I wouln't have helped Troy with his plan. But you have to understand, he sounded so sincere and helpless, I couldn't help it."

Gabriella smiled at Taylor. "It's okay, Tay. I'm not mad at you or Troy – the truth is that I actually enjoyed his performance."

Sharpay's smile widened as she heard her friend's words. "I knew it! I knew that you were vibing with Troy tonight. Hello! Like I haven't noticed the looks you have been passing each other all night."

Gabriella blushed as Sharpay pointed out what she hoped her friends hadn't noticed. "Well, I can't help it. Have you seen the guy?" She joked. "But seriously, when he was singing that song to me, I could tell that he meant everything he was singing."

"Well, what are you going to do about it? I felt so awful when he called for you and you just left him there." Taylor asked.

"I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm just so confused by all of it. I just left Boston earlier this morning and my boyfriend told he loves me the night before. I didn't anticipate that Troy Bolton would also declare his love for me, too. But what I don't get is how he can even say those things to me when he's got a girlfriend. And then to confess his feelings like that in front of his parents, too."

"Had. He had a girlfriend." Taylor told them.

"What? You guys told me he's dating a teacher at the school." Gabriella exclaimed.

"He was. He broke up with her as soon as he heard you were going to be in Albuquerque. The guys just told him last night you'd be here."

"Now I feel awful."

Sharpay sighed. "Gabriella, Troy broke up with someone he wasn't even close to being in love with. He was so happy to hear that you were attending the reunion that he was honest about his feelings. You shouldn't feel bad at all, you should be happy."

"I guess I do feel kind of happy."

"Exactly." Taylor said. "Gabriella, that man is still unbelievably in love with you. He's never stopped. He told me so himself tonight. He has missed you for so long now – and we both know you've missed him too."

"I know I've missed him. And I think part of me will always love him, but I'm not sure if I can just leave Eric because of it. I can't do that to Eric. It's not fair."

Sharpay put an arm around her friend, "I know this is not what you want to hear, but maybe this weekend you have to find out what your heart really wants."

Gabriella shrugged, "I don't think a weekend is going to help me find an answer."

"Well, then, it's a start. What do you want to do at this very moment?" Sharpay asked her with a serious expression on her face.

"Um, go to sleep?" Gabriella suggested.

"No, besides that. What is it that you've wanted to do all evening? Come on, Gabs, don't make us say it." Sharpay urged.

Gabriella sighed and looked at her two friends. "Talk to Troy," she said quietly.

Taylor squeezed her hand. "And that my dear is what you are going to do."

"I know," Gabriella nodded. "Tomorrow before the reunion, I promise I'll talk to him."

"Forget before the reunion. Honey, you have to talk to him tonight. As soon as possible." Sharpay told her.

"What? That's crazy. It's practically midnight. Troy can't possibly still be here, is he?"

"No, Troy and Chad left a little bit after you came up here." Taylor said.

"Then how am I supposed to talk to him? I'm not going to call him."

Sharpay smiled over at her. "You're going to go to him."

"What?" Gabriella exclaimed. "That is an absurd idea! I'm not going over to his house at this time. Are you both crazy?"

"Gabriella, you need to talk to Troy as soon as possible. He just sang to you – you can't wait till the next day to talk about it. You need to find out what else he wants to say." Sharpay urged her again.

"I know you both care a lot about me and Troy. But, aren't you just pushing me a little bit too much to see him?"

"Only because we care. If you don't do this tonight, we're afraid you won't. You can't let this moment pass. You have to go to him." Taylor said encouragingly.

"Well, what am I going to say?"

"We can't tell you that. I'm sure you'll know as soon as you see him." Sharpay said softly, giving Gabriella's shoulder a squeeze.

Gabriella thought over what her friends just said. She knew they were right. She couldn't let too much time pass between what just happened. She needed answers and she needed them tonight. "Alright, I'm going to go over to Troy's."

"That's our girl!" Taylor exclaimed. "You can take my rental car. I already programmed his address into the GPS tracker."

Gabriella giggled at her friend's action. "I guess I really had no choice in the matter. One way or the other, you were going to get me there."

"Exactly." They both said in unison.

Gabriella laughed and hugged her friends. "Wish me luck," she said, as she grabbed her purse and Taylor's keys to her rental car and headed out towards it. As she got into the front seat of the car, she leaned her head against the steering wheel. "You can do this, Gabi," she said to herself. "It's just Troy, you've known him for a long time. All you need to do is go over there and ask him what he wants. It should be easy enough." She groaned as she started the car and began following the directions of the GPS. She knew in her heart that the situation was far from easy.

* * *

Troy was relieved to be alone at last. He and Chad had shot some hoops for an hour after they got back to his house. He had taken a quick shower and thought he would be ready for bed, but as soon as he laid his head on the pillow, he was wide awake. He couldn't get the image of the night's events out of his head. He was still a little shocked by Gabriella's response to his performance. No matter what Chad said, Brie blew him off. Troy wasn't sure if he should be upset by this or if he should just give Gabriella some time to think about things before he approached her again. This weekend was his only chance to show her that he still wanted to be in her life. He just had to convince her.

Tomorrow night was probably his best chance. Maybe he would get her alone before the reunion and they could have a long talk somewhere. Perhaps on the school's rooftop. The thought brought a smile to Troy's face. He and Gabriella had shared some great moments on the school's roof. It was one of his secret hiding places and she was the only girl that he'd ever brought up there. Even now that he was back at East High teaching, he would think about going up there, but he knew it wasn't the same without her. Maybe tomorrow night he could take her up there and tell her in his words, not Nickelback's, how he felt.

Thinking about the song again, Troy couldn't hold back his smile. He knew he had performed the song as best as he could. He also knew that no matter how hard Gabriella tried to keep her emotions hidden, he could tell that she had enjoyed his performance. If only he could tell how she really felt. When he had called out her name, she gave him the most generic response ever. She was so nonchalant about it. Maybe Chad was right, maybe it was too overwhelming for her at the moment. He just thought that she would've swoon or something. Didn't women like guys to serenade them?

Troy stared up at the ceiling wishing that he could close his eyes and fall asleep, that way tomorrow would be here sooner. Just then he heard the doorbell. Troy looked at the clock on his nightstand. It was almost 12:20 in the morning. Maybe Chad forgot something. Troy grabbed his robe and made his way down the stairs to the front door. He looked through the peep hole and was shocked at the sight of Gabriella on his door steps.

Troy opened the door. "Gabriella," he said, "this is a surprise."

Gabriella felt foolish for standing on his door step at such a late hour. "Hi Troy, I'm sorry for coming by this late. I just couldn't go to sleep and I was hoping we could talk."

"No, come on in. To be honest, I couldn't sleep either." Troy led Gabriella into his foyer and he shut the door. He led her to the living room. "Can I get you anything? Water? Juice? Wine?"

Gabriella thought for a moment. Maybe a little alcohol would help her nerves. "I'll have a glass of wine. But not too much since I still have to drive myself back to Sharpay's."

"Let's see, I have a nice pinot that I just opened. It's a 2004 Sonnet." Troy offered.

Gabriella smiled. "That sounds wonderful. Thanks." Troy left Gabriella as he made his way to the kitchen. This gave Gabriella a chance to look around his home for a few minutes. Troy's house was just like him – comfortable, modern, and welcoming. The walls of his living room were painted light blue. He decorated his walls with photos of his time with the Celtics; he even had his jersey framed. He also had pictures of his parents on the wall and ones of him, Chad, Jason, and Zeke. She walked over to the entertainment area and admired his flatscreen TV, his 5-disc DVD player, surround sound speakers, and his collection of DVDs.

"Like what you see?" Troy asked as he came back into the living room with two glasses of wine.

"Just checking your DVDs. You have quite the collection here. A little bit of everything."

Troy shrugged. "I like variety. I just have to have something from every genre for whatever mood I'm in."

Just then one of the DVDs caught her attention. It was sitting out on top of the DVD player. "Oh my God. I love this movie!" She grabbed the cover and flashed it at Troy.

He smiled as he recognized it. "Yes, that's a classic."

"Remember when we would watch it over and over. I swear, I could never ever get sick of watching that movie. I still watch it whenever I get the chance."

"Same here." The truth was Troy watched the movie simply to remember that it was one of Gabriella's favorites. She loved "There's Something About Mary" and they had watched it together her first summer in Albuquerque. They had quoted the lines over and over. This was one of the reasons why he loved Gabriella – she had a great sense of humor.

Gabriella took a sip of the wine and put the DVD back on top of the player. "Wow, this pinot is delicious. Good choice."

"Thanks. It's from a Santa Cruz winery. They make several Sonnets from different regions, but the Saint Lucia Highlands one is the best."

"It's so balanced. It's quite nice."

"Thanks. So, should we sit on the couch?" Troy gestured to his big comfy couch.

"Sure," Gabriella said quietly. So far she felt comfortable with Troy. They hadn't had any awkward lulls in their conversation. She felt like they could have a really good conversation. As Gabriella sat down on one end, Troy sat down at the other. She turned to face him, "Okay Troy. First, I want you to know that I'm really happy to see you. I think too much time has gone by."

"I couldn't agree more. It's really good to see you, too, Brie. I mean it." Troy was looking at Gabriella with the same look he always gave her.

"Here's the other thing, about tonight, I'm sorry if I gave you the brush-off after your performance. You have to understand, I was completely caught off-guard by it all."

"I understand. I guess I overdid it."

Gabriella looked Troy in the eyes. "You didn't overdo anything. I loved your performance. I really did."

"Well, I'm glad you liked it." She noticed that Troy was starting to blush. "Um, it really wasn't random that Taylor picked the song out." He said sheepishly.

"I know. Taylor told me your little plan. I guess the thing I want to talk to you about is all of this."

"What do you want to know, Brie." He said softly, more of a statement then a question.

"I mean those words in the song, what are you trying to say?" Gabriella looked at Troy's face again. She wanted him to really know that she was there listening to him.

"Brie, I was going to say all of this to you tomorrow, well, technically it is Saturday, and so I'm just going to say it now." Troy put his glass of wine down on the coffee table. He scooted a few inches closer to Gabriella.

Gabriella felt the heat of his body close to hers and it made her nervous. She took another sip of her wine, this time gulping a little more than she should. Troy was giving her the look again. "Okay, Troy, what is it you're going to say?" She said with a whisper.

Troy took her hand in his. He felt Gabriella flinch. "I'm sorry. Can I hold your hand while I tell you this?" Gabriella didn't say anything, but nod her head. Troy gave a small cough. All of a sudden he felt very nervous. Then he looked into her brown eyes. "Gabriella," he started. "Brie, I love you. I never stopped loving you. The biggest mistake I ever made was walking out of your dorm room and not fighting you to stay together. You don't know how hard it was for me to not have you in my life. After every good or bad thing that happened to me, you were the only person I wanted to share it with. I hate that we let so many years go by without speaking. Now that you're back in Albuquerque, I'm not letting you go that easily ever again. I miss you. I miss everything about you."

Gabriella could feel her eyes getting watery. Now she knew she wasn't ready to hear any of it. As much as she wanted to tell Troy how she felt, Gabriella couldn't. She still had Eric to think about. She really didn't know what to say and she felt awful.

"Gabriella?" Troy asked, looking at her with confusion. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry Troy, I thought I would be okay with hearing what you would say, but I'm now more confused than ever."

"Oh, yeah," Troy said sadly, "you have a boyfriend."

She nodded. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have come here. I really do appreciate what you told me. I do. It's just that I can't say anything to you right now because I have to figure it all out on my own. Please just give me some time."

Troy slowly nodded. "I know, Brie. I'm just glad that we are talking. At least I've put my words and heart out there. Now I'll be patient and wait for you."

Gabriella leaned over and gave Troy a hug. "Why do you always have to say the nicest things whenever I can't be nice back?"

"It's just who I am, Brie. And you are nice. I'm a big boy, I can handle it."

Gabriella leaned back and looked at him. "It is really good to see you again, Bolton."

Troy smiled at her. "It's good to see you, too, Montez." And then without thinking, Troy leaned over and kissed her. It was such a wonderful feeling. He ran a hand through her hair and deepened the kiss. Just as he was really getting into it, he felt Gabriella push him away.

"I'm sorry, Troy," she cried, as she got up and started heading towards the front door. "I have to go." And with one more look at him, Gabriella stepped out of his house.

Troy hung his head and made his way to lock the door. "Damn it," he muttered. It had felt so right kissing her. He knew she was into it, too. Troy took the wine glasses from the coffee table and brought them back to the kitchen. He was rinsing the glasses out, when there was a small knock at the door.

He opened the door to find Gabriella standing there again. Before he could say anything, Gabriella threw her arms around him and gave him a long kiss that took his breath away. As she leaned her head back, she whispered, "I've missed you, too, Wildcat." Then she reached up and brought his head down to hers so that she could kiss him again. This time, she wasn't going to let anything change her mind. She was going to go with what her feelings were telling her. And they were telling her she needed Troy Bolton.


	11. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Gabriella slowly opened her eyes and looked around the unfamiliar room. She didn't recognize where she was. She was lying on her side in a warm and comfortable bed. She felt an arm draped around her waist. She gave a small gasp as she immediately remembered where she was. _Shit,_ she thought. She was in Troy Bolton's bedroom. _How could I be so stupid?_ Gabriella thought. Hadn't she walked out of his house last night? She had, but then something inside of her made her walk right back to his door.

She remembered that as soon as Troy opened the door, she had thrown herself on him. And now look at the predicament they were in. She was confused last night when she came over to his place, but now that it was a new day and the streaks of sunshine filtered through his window, things were a lot clearer. She shouldn't be here. She had a devoted boyfriend named Eric back in Boston. Gabriella felt sick with herself for letting her emotions get the better of her. That was exactly it, wasn't it? Yesterday when she and Troy were talking, being near each other again, it may have stirred some old emotions in her. Falling into bed with him was a trip down memory lane – no more, no less. _Don't kid yourself, Gabi,_ she thought. She knew last night was more than just sex between them – there had been passion, lust, and a thirst that she knew was missing from her life; but right now she needed to get out of there to clear her mind and really evaluate the situation she was in. She wouldn't be able to think clearly with Troy Bolton lying next to her.

She closed her eyes and tried not to think of the way Troy's lips and hands on her body had made her feel. She had to get out of there before anything else happened. Gabriella started to inch her body away from Troy's and slowly moved his arm off of her waist, but as she moved his arm, he woke up.

"Hey," he said, moving closer to nuzzle her neck. He planted a soft kiss just below her ear lobe, which was enough to make her crazy. "What are you doing?"

"I have to go Troy." She said very briskly, trying to stay in control.

"Brie, I thought I would make us breakfast. I was hoping we could spend the day together before the reunion."

"I'm sorry, Troy. I really have to go." Gabriella tried to move away from him again, but not before Troy wrapped his arms around her and held her against him.

"What's going on, Brie?"

"It's nothing Troy. I just have to go, okay? I just need some time alone right now."

"But what about this? Us?"

Gabriella sighed and felt her shoulders sag. She knew Troy would want some answers, but she didn't even know what they were. So she decided she would be tough with him. "Troy, what do you want me to say? Yes, last night was unbelievable and I enjoyed it very much, but it still doesn't change anything."

Troy let go of Gabriella and sat up. "Brie, I know this is more than just one night. Why can't you admit it?"

"Troy, didn't I tell you I need more time? I really need to be sure of what I want."

"I know, I just thought that last night was part of the answer you were looking for." He leaned over and towards her and laid his chin on her shoulder. "I love you and I don't want to lose you again."

Gabriella didn't know what to else to say to Troy without hurting his feelings. He was being so vulnerable and she wanted to be careful around him. She didn't want to get his hopes up for nothing, so she took the only approach she could think of. "Troy," she said quietly, "I don't know what else to say to you. Let's just let last night be what it is – a special moment we shared. Why do we even need to analyze it? Just let it be."

"But it's more than just a moment, Brie. I know it is. I think you do, too."

Gabriella slowly got off the bed and turned to face Troy. She wished she hadn't because he looked so irresistible at the moment. The front part of his hair was falling into his eyes. He had his comforter covering the bottom half of his body, but she didn't mind admiring what she was seeing. It was obvious he kept his body in shape, his arms were nicely toned and his chest and abs were nicely sculpted. The man looked good; there was no doubt about that. Gabriella realized she was gazing at him just a bit too long and didn't want to give Troy any ideas. She could feel herself blushing. She decided to stay tough, "Look, Troy, as of right now, what happened last night was nothing more than a trip down memory lane. Let's just leave it at that." Troy gave her another look. "And stop doing that. Stopping looking at me like that."

"But Brie, I told you before. I'm not giving up so easily on us this time. Eight years ago you wanted us to stop being friends, and I gave up and didn't fight you about it. This time, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure we have a chance."

"A chance for what, Troy? You have to let me go. I have a life I have to get back to in Boston. I leave Albuquerque in two days. Please just leave this moment the way it is."

"But what if I can't let you go?" Troy asked, giving her the saddest look.

Gabriella grabbed her dress and undergarments off the floor. She hastily put everything back on. She made her way to Troy's bedroom door and grabbed the door knob. She was pulling the door open when Troy jumped out of bed and held the door shut with his hand.

Gabriella tried opening the door again but it wouldn't move against his hand. She gave Troy an annoyed look. "Can you please let go of the door so that I can leave?" She said through gritted teeth.

"No. I'm not letting you leave before we finish having this conversation."

"Troy." Gabriella said. "You seriously have to let this go. Last night was one night."

Troy was getting annoyed with Gabriella calling it just a "night" when he knew it was so much more. "Why do you keep saying it like that?"

"Why do you keep insisting it's more?" Gabriella retorted back. "Troy, last night was nothing but two consenting adults having a good time."

"See?" Troy said, gesturing with his hand, "You keep talking like that. You pretend that everything's all just so easy and casual."

"Because it is Troy. I'm thinking clearly here."

Troy leaned his body closer to Gabriella's. "You can keep denying it all you want, but you know that there is something more than just casual going on here. We are far from casual, Brie. I know it and so do you."

Gabriella tried to inch herself away from Troy, but the more she moved away, he moved his body to fill the space between them. "Troy," she said in a quieter tone, "I really need to get going."

"Why are you running away from this?" Troy was now standing in front of Gabriella, her back pressed against the wall near the door. Troy was looking down at her with one arm propped against the wall to the side of her head.

Gabriella took a deep breath and tried to concentrate on being indifferent towards Troy. She didn't want him to know that having him this close to her was making her crazy. "Fine, Troy, you got me." Gabriella said in an exasperated voice. "Last night was more than just one night. I agree with you. But I'm not running away from anything because I don't know what this thing is going on between us. Please, just give me some time to think."

Troy looked at Gabriella and studied her face. He didn't want to freak her out or make her run, so he decided to comply and give her some time until the reunion. "Alright," he said, slowly, as he ran a hand across her cheek. "I'll give you some time."

"Thanks, Troy. Now, will you please move so that I can go?" She said in a joking manner.

"After this." Troy told her.

Gabriella looked at him, his expression all serious, and it made her nervous, "After what?" she said quietly.

Troy leaned down and gave Gabriella a kiss. It was gentle, yet at the same time full of intensity. Then Troy moved his head away from hers and gave her a smile. "See you tonight."

Gabriella moved herself away from him as Troy opened the bedroom door. She took another look at him, gave him a wave and smiled, then made her way down and out of the house. As she got into the rental car, she couldn't help but touch her lips. They were still tingling from the kiss she just got. She needed to talk to Sharpay and Taylor right away. She needed their perspective since she couldn't trust herself to make any decisions at the moment, given that a certain someone was clouding her judgment. _Damn you, Troy Bolton_, she thought. At the same time, Gabriella could feel a smile lingering on her face and she silently thanked Troy for putting it there.

* * *

After Gabriella left, Troy got back in bed and stared at the ceiling. He was still thinking about what happened the night before. He felt like he was dreaming. He couldn't believe his luck when he opened the door a second time and found Gabriella standing there. The kiss she gave him literally blew his mind away. He smiled as he thought about it. He turned on his side and looked at the empty spot next to him. If things worked out the way he wanted them, too, she would always be by his side in bed. He could smell her scent on the pillow. It was mixture of vanilla and jasmine.

He knew no matter what Gabriella said, she had felt what he was feeling. Last night had been incredible. He still couldn't get over how beautiful she was. He remembered the first time they had slept together; it was during their freshmen year of college, right around Thanksgiving weekend. He remembered how awkward and scary it had been, but it was also an amazing experience because they were in love. After he and Gabriella had broken up, he had dated other women casually and slept with a few of them. But the experience wasn't comparable to what he and Gabriella shared. Last night, their bodies molded together perfectly. When Gabriella had drifted off to sleep while in his arms, Troy was still awake and all he did was look at her. He looked at her perfectly shaped eyebrows and smiled as he looked at her long lashes. Her cheeks were flushed. Then he stared at her lips. They were just the right size, full and luscious. He had missed those lips. Gabriella looked like Sleeping Beauty in his arms. She was so beautiful and he couldn't be happier that she was there beside him. He was convinced that they belonged together; even after all that they went through, that moment right there was a certainty for him. Troy had fallen asleep with a smile on his face. Nothing could change the way he felt.

He knew he should get out of bed and get ready for the day. Chad had scheduled a basketball game at 10:30 with all the other Wildcats from their senior class. It would be great to see all of his old teammates. Troy looked at his alarm clock and saw that it was close to 9:00. He got out of bed and made his way to the shower. After a quick shower, Troy put on a plain white T-shirt and some red track pants. He made his way down to the kitchen to grab something to eat. Troy looked around his fridge and decided to make an egg white omelet with portabella mushrooms. He really wished Gabriella had stayed this morning because he would've loved to make her breakfast in bed. Over the years of being on his own for so long, he had learned to cook. Though he wasn't Zeke, he enjoyed cooking once in a while.

As soon as Troy was done eating, he grabbed a glass from his counter and filled it with some orange juice. He was headed to the living room to watch some television when the doorbell rang. He smiled as he thought about last night and hoped that it was a certain dark haired beauty on his door step. Troy made his way over to the door and opened it and said "I knew you couldn't resist me and you're back for more, right?" He gave a chuckle and immediately blushed and felt embarrassed as he realized it wasn't Gabriella. He was surprised, however, to see Julia standing on his door step. "Hey Julia," he said.

Julia gave him a small smile and avoided looking him in the eyes. She was acting very strange. "Hi Troy," she finally said. "How are you?"

"I'm doing well. Yourself?"

"Not too bad. Do you mind if I come in? I need to talk to you." Julia said hastily. She looked very nervous to say the least.

"Sure, come on in. Do you want anything to drink? Juice? Water?"

"I'm fine, thanks. I kind of need to say what I have to say before I lose my nerve."

"This sounds serious." Troy said with curiosity. "Why don't we go to kitchen." He led the way to the kitchen and gestured for Julia to take a seat at his small dining table. She took one of the chairs and Troy sat opposite from her. He noticed Julia was looking down at her hands and kept avoiding making any eye contact with him. He knew they had broken up two nights ago, but she had been okay with it. He hoped she wasn't here to try and get back together with him. He felt the tension in the air and it made him very uncomfortable. Troy took a sip of his juice and cleared his throat. "So, you said there was something you wanted to talk about."

Julia finally looked up; her gray eyes were neither warm nor lively. They kind of looked sad. "Look, Troy, I don't know how to say this, but there's something you need to know."

"What? You can tell me anything."

"I just feel awful about everything. I really wish I was stronger."

"Julia, you're starting to freak me out. Are you okay? I know we broke up a couple of night's ago, but I thought you were okay with it."

Julia's eyes started to water, "Of course, I'm not okay with it. I was just trying to put up a brave act, Troy. I wish things were easier."

"Julia, I feel awful about it too, but we can't be together. You know that. Gabriella's back in my life."

Julia looked at Troy, and slowly nodded. "Obviously she was here last night. You thought it was going to be her at the door, just now."

Troy looked away sheepishly. "Yeah, she left a little bit ago."

"So, then, just like that, you're back together?"

"Well, I really wouldn't say we're together, just yet. We're still trying to figure everything out."

Julia gave a small chuckle. "Troy, can't you see what's going on here?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You're not the one trying to figure out anything. Let me guess, you laid your heart and emotions out for her and she's not giving in that easily." Troy didn't really want to answer Julia, so she continued. "Don't you think that if she wanted you, she would be here right now? She's obviously playing with you. I bet she even has a boyfriend back in Boston. She's just having her cake and eating it, too. I can't believe you can't see that."

Troy didn't like anything that she was saying, especially the way she was talking about Gabriella. "You don't know anything about Gabriella or our situation."

"I don't?" Julia looked at Troy, this time her eyes were fiery and alive. She shook her head at Troy. "You don't think I know what it's like to see poor Troy Bolton chasing after an old dream, a façade. As I remember, _she _wanted to stop being friends with you. _She_ never contacted you once over the last eight years. My God, Troy, after hearing that _she'll _be in Albuquerque, you drop everything for_ her_. You're like a little lost puppy dog. Frankly, it's pathetic."

Troy knew he should be mad and defend himself against Julia's words, but he also knew that this person in front of him wasn't acting like the Julia he knew. He knew perfectly well that this was one of Julia's defense mechanisms, she would go on and on about something else just to avoid the real issue at hand. "What's going on with you, Julia? I know this isn't like you to talk like this. What are you trying to hide?"

"I'm not hiding anything."

"Yes, you are. I really do think you are perfectly fine with our break up. I know you're not here trying to win me back. But I do know you well enough to know that you're upset about something, which is neither about me or Gabriella. So what's going on?"

"Troy," she said, her voice quivering. She looked so small and helpless. She was obviously scared.

"Julia, please, just tell me what's wrong." Troy pleaded.

Julia gave him another look and this time, he could see defeat on her face. He had been right. She wasn't here trying to get back together with him or to yell at him about Brie. She wiped away a tear and looked down at her lap. He heard her say something, but it was all mumbles.

"Julia?" He asked one more time.

He heard Julia slowly sigh. This time she looked up at him and in a small and quiet voice as possible, she said, "I'm pregnant."

* * *

**Author's Note: I wasn't sure if this was the step I wanted to take with my story - but I decided, what the hell? Why not? I like a little drama. Hope you enjoyed the little surprise ending there - maybe it wasn't a surprise to some of you, but it's okay. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**P.S. Did you like the reference I made to Sleeping Beauty? If you haven't seen the picture, search for it online. It's a gorgeous pic of Zanessa. :D**


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Author's Note: I will be posting the Chapter 11 and 12 today. I really enjoyed writing them over the weekend. I know it can be pretty lengthy, but I couldn't cut any of the conversations between the characters. Enjoy and happy reading!**

* * *

Chapter Eleven

Troy thought he was imagining the words coming out of Julia's mouth. So he cleared his throat and asked her one more time to repeat what she had just told him.

Julia gave Troy another look and said, "I'm pregnant."

"But how?" Troy asked with confusion.

"How do you think, Troy?" She asked with sarcasm.

"That's not what I meant. What I mean is, how could this happen? We always used protection. I though you were on the pill, too."

This time, Julia looked away sheepishly. "I kind of stopped taking the pill a few months ago."

"What?" Troy exclaimed. "Don't you think I should have known about this?"

"The pills were giving me the worst side effects I've ever had. Also, like you said, you always use a condom so I thought we were safe."

"Yet, you still end up pregnant." Troy felt like punching the wall or something. This wasn't the kind of news anyone was ready to hear. "But I'm still confused; I don't remember the condom breaking or anything."

"Um," Julia said quietly, "there was that one time a couple of months ago, remember?"

Troy tried to remember what happened two months ago. _Oh, shit,_ he thought. He remembered it now. They both had been a little drunk after a night of fajitas, many shots, and margaritas. "Damn it," he muttered. He groaned and put his head in his hands.

"Yeah," Julia agreed, looking down at the table.

"This couldn't have happened at the worst time." He said more to himself than to her.

"I'm sorry, Troy, I should've said something sooner, but then you came over a couple of nights ago and dumped me. I wasn't even sure then, I just thought my period was late or something. But I took a pregnancy test yesterday and it came back positive."

Troy stopped himself from asking if she was sure the baby was his. It would be a jerk of a thing for him to ask that. He knew that even though they were dating casually, he hadn't been with anyone else, and he assumed Julia was the same way. "I don't know what to do here." He said as honest as he could. "What do you want us to do?"

"Well," Julia said, "I'm not even sure I'm ready to have a baby yet. But at the same time, maybe this is a blessing." She paused before going on. "Look, Troy, I don't expect anything from you. I just thought you should know. Besides, most people these days have babies and the parents aren't together."

"I'm not sure if I can just accept that, Julia." Troy put a hand on top of hers on the table. "If you want this baby, then we'll do it together. I don't want any child of mine growing up with one parent."

Julia's eyes started to tear up. She gave Troy a small smile. "Thanks Troy, I always knew you're a really good guy. What about you and Gabriella?"

Troy gritted his teeth at the mention of Brie. "Damn it," he said a second time. He had been so wrapped up in what Julia told him that he forgot about how this would affect his and Gabriella's newly found reunion. "I don't know. All I know is that I was raised to do the right thing. I'll be there for you and support you no matter what. It's my child in there. I just hope Gabriella will be able to take the news."

"Troy, I feel so awful. I know you had all these hopes of being with Gabriella again."

Troy gave Julia a confused look, "Wait a minute, here," he said "I'm not giving up anything with Gabriella."

This time Julia gave him a confused look. "But you just said you'd be by my side because you didn't want our baby growing up with one parent."

"That's exactly what I said. I'll support you, be there for you and the baby, but I still want to be with Gabriella."

"Oh," Julia said, tersely. "I thought you meant _we'd_ be together."

"No," Troy told her sympathetically. "I'm sorry. Was that what you were expecting here?"

"Not exactly," she told him. "But, it's not a bad idea either."

"What?" Troy asked, giving Julia another confused look.

"Well, how do you think it's going to look around the school and to your parents once I start showing?"

"I don't care what people think, as long as we know the truth and are honest with each other and our loved ones about it. But, I was serious when I said I'm not going to lose Gabriella."

Troy saw Julia's eye hardened a bit. "It's always about Gabriella, isn't it?" she said with sigh.

Troy shrugged his shoulders and slightly nodded. "I'm sorry if I'm not giving you the answers you want. I'm just being honest here."

Julia looked at Troy's face and saw that he was obviously hurting from all of this. "I know, Troy, that's why I said you're a really good guy. Most guys wouldn't be able to take the news."

"Yeah," was all Troy could mutter. All he wanted right now was to be left alone so that he could evaluate everything that happened in the last 12 hours. How could everything change so quickly? One minute, Gabriella was in his arms and they were making love, the next Julia was telling him that he would be a father. _I mean, I should be overjoyed about this_, Troy thought. But in his heart, he knew that it was Gabriella who he wanted to have children with. Troy knew himself and he would be true to his word and help support Julia and be there for his child. There was no doubt about that.

Julia noticed that Troy was really quiet and decided now was the best time to leave him. Let him think about the news. "Alright, Troy, I'm going to get going now. I'm sure you have stuff you need to do before the reunion tonight."

"Sure," he said. He walked her over to the door. "Thanks for coming by and telling me everything."

"Yeah," Julia said. "Talk to you soon."

"Okay. See you." Troy was about to shut the door when Julia turned and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Oh, Troy," she gushed. "We're going to have a baby."

Troy was shocked and confused by her sudden gesture. "Yeah, it's good news." He said quietly, patting her lightly on the back.

She leaned back and looked at him. "It_ is_ good news. Even if we aren't together, I'm just glad to know that this baby will have a wonderful father."

Troy nodded, all of a sudden feeling very uncomfortable and finding it hard to breathe. He smiled politely at Julia and tried to say good-bye again. "Alright, Julia, we'll talk some more later. I need to get ready."

"Okay," she nodded a look of disappointment on her face. "Later then. See ya."

He watched as Julia walked away. Once she was out of sight, Troy closed the door and leaned against it. He banged the back of his head three time on the door. "Damn it," he said. He wanted to do nothing but crawl into his bed and never come out. How was he supposed to face Gabriella, Chad, and everyone at the reunion tonight with something as big as this? And how would Gabriella feel about him once she learned the truth?

* * *

Gabriella quietly walked up the stairs and tried to sneak back into the guest room. She hadn't seen anyone else in the house except for the maids, so she didn't want Sharpay to know that she had been out all night. Gabriella smiled as she reached the door and was reaching to turn the doorknob when a voice behind her said "Well, well, well, if it isn't our little night owl."

Gabriella turned around to find both Sharpay and Taylor looking at her, both with big smiles on their face. Gabriella could feel her face heating up and without a word to them opened the door and walked in. Her friends immediately followed her inside.

Sharpay took her shoulders and gave a gentle shake. "We want details."

Taylor laughed and agreed, "Right away."

Gabriella tried to hide her amusement. She would make them wait for it. "I really do need to shower first and get some food in me." She drawled slowly.

"The shower can wait. Olga is bringing up breakfast for us." Sharpay cut in. "Alright, now, the details. Spill it, Montez."

"Well," Gabriella said, "If you must know, Troy and I had a really good talk last night."

Taylor smiled, "Wow, it must have been some talk, since you're just coming back here, and it's about 8:30 am."

"We started talking about the whole karaoke performance and Troy told me he loves me. You guys were right. He's never stopped loving me." Gabriella said, her voice filled with sadness. Then she looked Taylor and Sharpay in the face, "He's never stopped loving me." She said thoughtfully this time. Gabriella couldn't help but feel delighted at the words. It warmed her to know that Troy still felt so strongly about her.

"And how do you feel?" Sharpay asked.

"I'm just so confused about it all. I mean, I have Eric. He's a great guy and all,"

Gabriella started.

"But?" Taylor interjected.

"How'd you know I was going say that?" Gabriella asked with a little amusement.

"Just a little intuition," Taylor offered.

Gabriella gave a small smile, "But," she continued, "the way that Troy makes me feel is far from what I feel with Eric. I admitted to Troy that I missed him, too and that I liked his singing."

"Of course you would. Who wouldn't love to be serenaded?" Sharpay said.

"I know. He was apologizing for overdoing his performance and I told him I had enjoyed it."

"So? When are you going to give us the juicy parts?" Taylor squealed.

"What juicy parts?" Gabriella asked, pretending she didn't understand what Taylor was alluding to.

"Gabs!" Sharpay exclaimed. "Give us the details. We know so much more went on than just talking."

"Well, I told Troy that I was very confused by everything – his romantic gestures, his words, and Eric. He told me he wasn't letting me go again."

"Awww," Taylor said, "That's so sweet. How did you respond?"

"As honest as I could. I just told him to give me some time. I really need to think about everything and evaluate what I really want and who I want."

"That's a good answer. How did Troy take it?" Sharpay asked.

"Unbelievably well. He was being so sweet. He said he would wait for me no matter what." Gabriella looked at her friends again and went on, "So, after the serious talk, we're just being friendly. Then he leaned over and kissed me." Gabriella started to blush.

Both Sharpay and Taylor screamed. Gabriella couldn't help but giggle at her friends' reaction.

"Oh my God, how was it?" Sharpay asked, grabbing Gabriella's hand.

"It was amazing. But then I realized what I was doing and I felt so guilty about Eric. So I pushed him away and apologized and told him I had to leave and I walked out of there."

"What?" Taylor gasped. "Then where have you been all night?"

Gabriella gave them a mischievous smile. "Well," she continued, "the story's not over."

The girls heard a knock at the door. "Come in," Sharpay said. The Evans' head maid, Olga, came in carrying a tray stacked with delicious food – there were some strawberries, a stack of French toast, sausage links, and scrambled eggs. It smelled delightful and Gabriella could feel her mouth watering. Another maid came in with another tray, stacked with plates, silverware, and a coffee pot.

"Thank you, Olga," Gabriella told her. "We appreciate all of this." Olga smiled at them and left the room. The girls took the interruption to fill their plates with some food.

Taylor looked at Gabriella, "Okay, Gabi, back to the story."

Gabriella nodded and took a sip of her coffee. "Okay, so I walked out of there and made my back to the car when something inside of me told me it wasn't over between us. So I went back and knocked on his door."

Taylor and Sharpay grasped hands and squealed. "So, what next?" Sharpay urged.

"As soon as Troy opened the door, I did the only thing that I really wanted to do. I threw my arms around him and kissed him."

"You go, girl." Taylor said. "That's pretty bold of you."

"I know, right?" Gabriella said. "I was surprised myself. But it felt so good and so right being there with him. So, we continued kissing for a while and the next thing I know, we're in bed together."

"Gabs, you are such a seductress." Sharpay teased.

Gabriella knew she was blushing a lot at the moment, "I am not. It was just something very natural that happened between us."

"And?" Taylor asked, with an arched eyebrow.

"And it was amazing. I literally was blown away. I don't think anyone's ever made me feel the way he does."

"Then Gabi, what are you waiting for? That man is available for you. Don't you want him?" Taylor inquired.

Gabriella shrugged her shoulders. "A part of me wants him, but then a part of me wants Eric, too."

"Well, honey, news flash – you can't have them both. It's one or the other." Sharpay offered.

"I know. I wish it was that easy. Yes, with Troy, even after all the years that have passed between us, there are definitely still sparks there. I really feel close and safe with him." Gabriella told them.

"But?" Taylor said.

Gabriella gave a small smirk, "But then what I have with Eric is also good. He's a good guy and it wouldn't be fair to just dump him without giving him a chance."

"But Gabi, this is not some charity case here. This is your life we're talking about. Who ever said love was fair? You have to go with your gut instinct." Taylor told her.

"I know what you're saying Tay, but I just don't want to hurt anyone's feelings."

"Well, you better toughen up, cause someone's bound to get hurt, no matter what. Do you want the truth?" Sharpay said to her.

"The truth about what?" Gabriella asked, afraid to hear what her friend would say.

"You gave your heart to Troy Bolton a long time ago. And you honestly never got it back. You still love Troy. We see it. You can't even tell Eric you love him. And trust me, it doesn't take long to know if you love someone or not. You just do." Sharpay told her softly.

"I know," Gabriella said with a sigh. "I agree with you. Eric's a great guy and all, but he's not Troy." Gabriella said, nodding her head. "I don't know what I was so afraid of. Things are definitely getting clearer."

Taylor reached over and squeezed her hand. "You just have to follow your heart, Gabi."

"I know," She said quietly. "I think my heart already knows who it wants."

Sharpay and Taylor both looked at their friend, "And?" They said in unison.

Gabriella's face slowly broke out into a wide grin. "A certain Wildcat."

"You have to go and tell him right now." Sharpay urged.

"No, I want to wait until tonight at the reunion."

"Oh, Gabriella, this is so exciting. And so romantic." Taylor gushed.

Gabriella nodded. "I know. It's pretty bold of me. But up to this point, Troy's been so upfront about his feelings that it's time I tell him how I feel. But what do I do about Eric? I mean, I should call him and let him know, right?"

"You could call Eric and talk to him now, but why don't you wait until you get back to Boston. It'll probably be easier telling him face-to-face." Sharpay suggested.

"Yeah, I agree with you. It wouldn't do any good to call Eric and tell him over the phone. I'd rather do it in person. I just feel so awful about everything. I didn't expect to come to Albuquerque and fall in love with Troy Bolton."

"Again." Taylor said with a giggle.

"Ha ha, that's right. It is the second time I've come to Albuquerque and fallen for him. Who knows if I'm even making the right decision? All I know is that when I was with Troy yesterday, it just felt right."

"Then we're happy with the decision you're making. I'm sure, everyone else will, too." Sharpay said.

"Even though you spent the last eight years keeping us apart?" Gabriella joked.

"Yes, despite all of that. You and Troy are made for each other." Taylor responded.

Gabriella thought about what her friend just said and she smiled. "We are, aren't we?" The friends all looked at one another and smiled. She knew right then and there that the decision she made was the right one. "Anyway, enough talk about me. What is the plan for today besides the reunion tonight?"

"Well, I thought we'd go and get ourselves pampered – a little mani-pedi-facial session. I got us all appointments at," Sharpay looked at her watch, "Oh, in about an hour. We better get ready and head out."

"Sounds like a plan. I just need to take a quick shower and check my messages. Meet you both downstairs in about 40 minutes." Gabriella said.

"See ya then!" Taylor exclaimed. Gabriella closed the door after her friends left the bedroom. She went to the closet to see what she wanted to wear. She looked at all her clothes and decided on a denim skirt and a simple white v-neck short sleeved shirt. She was glad she brought some flip-flops, she would definitely need them for going to the salon. She grabbed her cell phone and saw that she had a missed call from Eric and a couple of text messages.

The first was from Eric and it said "Miss u, Hope ur having fun. Luv u." Seeing the message made Gabriella ill. She knew she was following what her heart was telling her, but she didn't like the fact that she had to hurt Eric while doing it. The next message was from an unfamiliar number – but she knew well enough, it had to be Troy's. The message said "Brie, last nite = amazing. Can't wait 2 C U 2nite. I love you." Troy's message made her smile. She knew she was making the right decision. She couldn't wait to see Troy's face when she told him she wanted to be with him, too and that she still loved him. There was going to be a lot of decisions both of them would need to make together. Gabriella knew in her heart that things would work out for them this time. There was no doubt about that.


	13. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Troy was glad he had decided to go to the game that Chad had arranged for all the old Wildcats. It was fun seeing his old teammates and they had gotten a good scrimmage going on. They were now nearing the end of the game and Troy had decided to sit the last few minutes out. He knew he hadn't been playing his best because all he could do was think of Julia's pregnancy and Gabriella. At one point, Chad had come up to ask him if anything was wrong. Troy just shrugged and told him no. But he had to talk to his best friend about it. He had already decided he needed Chad's advice and outlook on the situation. He thought about getting Zeke and Jason's opinions, too. He was afraid of what they would say, but he needed their help no matter what.

Chad finally blew the whistle and ended the game. The guys had all crowded around the cooler that Jason had brought so they could grab waters and Gatorade. After some mild chit-chat, the other Wildcats started leaving one-by-one. Troy was relieved once it was just his three friends and himself.

"Yo Hoops," Chad said. "Are you sure you're okay? You seem like you're off in another world."

"I might as well be." Troy said. "I have some things I need to tell you guys."

"What's up, man?" Zeke asked.

Troy gestured for his friends to come sit down next to him at the picnic table next to the court. Troy smiled slowly as he said, "So, last night I had a late night visitor."

"Dude!" Chad exclaimed. "See didn't I tell you that your performance would pay off."

"Ha ha. I remember. Anyway, Gabriella came over and wanted to talk. So we did for a little bit and then I kissed her."

"Bolton, I thought you said you would leave her alone. She has a boyfriend, remember?" Jason said. "And what about Julia?"

"Jason, Julia and I are broken up. I ended things a couple of nights ago. And about Gabriella, I tried, I really did. But I couldn't help it. Come on, it's Brie. Anyway, as soon as I kissed her she pushed me away and ran out of my house."

"Ouch." Zeke observed.

"Exactly." Troy said. "That's how I felt but then she comes back to the door. And as soon as I open it, this time she's kissing me." Troy smiled as he recalled the moment. "And then the rest is history."

"Please tell me, you didn't." Chad said.

"Alright, we didn't." Troy said nonchalantly.

"You are such a bad liar, Hoops." Chad exclaimed. "So, what was this that went on between you? Are you going to get back together?"

"I'm not sure." Troy said sullenly.

"What do you mean?" Jason asked.

"Well, this morning Gabriella just told me to give her some time to think about what she wants and we would talk later tonight at the reunion. But then I got some other news." Troy told them.

"What news?" Zeke inquired.

"Well, this morning before the game, Julia came by."

"Oh oh, the ex is back in the picture." Zeke observed.

Troy nodded. "Guys, I don't know how to say this without being happy or upset. I just feel so indifferent towards it." He looked up and saw his friends' eager faces, wanting him to get to the point already. "Okay, but you have to promise this stays between us. I don't want Sharpay, Taylor, or Martha knowing before I figure out what I'm going to do and how I'm going to tell Gabriella."

"We promise." Each of his friends invoked.

"The thing is Julia," Troy started, his voice getting weaker. "Julia, um, she's uh, she's pregnant."

Troy watched as each of his friend's took the news in. They were all shocked. He was waiting for one of them to say something. Then they were all protesting that it wasn't fair he had made them promise not to say anything to their significant other. Troy just shrugged and said, "I'm sorry, they can't know before Gabriella. I have to let Brie know first, okay?"

Chad looked at Troy and slowly nodded, "I don't know what to say, man. I can see why you can't really express happiness or disappointment about this situation. I wouldn't know what to do either."

"So, what are you going to do?" Jason asked with concern. "I mean, I know you had hopes to reunite with Gabi, but you need to step up and be there for Julia."

"I know that, Jason," Troy said. "I already told Julia I would be there for her and support her all the way, but I'm not going to be there for her the way you think I should be. I don't want to be with her or marry her. I want Gabriella."

"Has Gabriella even told you that she wants you?" Jason asked, this time with a little bitterness.

"No, but we agreed to talk later. I'm hoping she'll tell me what she wants and if it's me, then it'll make me very happy."

This time Zeke looked at Troy with a little sadness. "Troy, I know you want to be with Gabi and all, but do you really think she'll be okay with this news? Do you think you'll want your child to grow up in a broken home?"

"What are you talking about? Broken? It's not like Julia and I intentionally decided to get pregnant and then I left her. It was a mistake, an accident." Troy was getting annoyed that his friends weren't more supportive.

"Hey now," Chad said, "Let's be fair here to Troy. I agree this is all a surprise. Troy didn't expect any of this."

"Well, if you know what's right, you'll do right by Julia." Jason told him once again, pointedly.

"Dude, what's your problem? Why are you all of a sudden urging me to do right by Julia? I know what you're insinuating. This isn't the 1960s. People do have children together without actually being together." Troy confronted Jason with.

"This is your problem now. You got her pregnant. And you dumped her two days ago, only because Gabriella Montez was going to be in Albuquerque. Troy, you need to move on from Gabriella." Jason insisted.

"You know what?" Troy asked. "I'm starting to think it's no use getting good advice from any of you because didn't you spend almost the last decade keeping me away from the woman I love." Troy didn't care if his friends heard the bitterness in his voice.

"Hey," Chad interjected, "Don't bring that into this. As much as I don't like to see you in this situation, Jason's right. You need to do the right thing here, Troy. You know you can't be with Gabriella while another woman is having your baby. It would be so unpleasant for both Gabriella and Julia. Do you really think Gabi is going to be okay by all of this?"

Troy just shrugged his shoulders feeling defeated. He was hoping his friends would see that it would be okay for him and Brie to be together, even though Julia would be having his child. "I'm just so mad right now," Troy proclaimed. "I'm so mad at myself and this whole situation. I'm not blaming Julia or anything. But, all I want to ask is 'why me?' Is someone trying to punish me? The one chance I have of getting Gabriella back and then to hear this. It's just not fair."

"I'm sorry I was being so harsh, Troy," Jason finally said. "We know how much you love Gabriella, but you know in your heart that you could never have a child of yours grow up without you in the picture. We know you'll do the right thing because you always do. It may be something you don't want right now, but who knows, maybe once you let go of Gabriella, you will learn to love Julia."

Troy shook his head at what Jason was saying. "Jason, I already told you. I don't plan on being with Julia that way. We'll stay friends and I will be involved with my child's life, but I can't just forget Brie like that. I can't do that to her."

Zeke gave Troy a sympathetic look. "Troy, I'm sorry to hear that you are going through this. I really am. I'm not going to tell you what you need to or have to do. My only advice to you is that you follow your heart. If it's Gabriella that you want then go do it. Everything will work out on its' own."

"Thanks Zeke. I appreciate that." Troy said quietly. He saw Jason give Zeke a look. Zeke shrugged his shoulders in response.

"Hoops," Chad said, "No matter what you decide, we'll be here to support you." Chad looked to Jason and Zeke, "We will support you no matter what, right guys?"

Zeke gave Troy a smile. "I'm always here for you, man. I'm serious, whatever you decide I will support you."

Jason looked at his friend long and hard. He could tell that Troy was obviously conflicted by the whole situation. Jason knew he was partial to Julia because Martha and Julia had become good friends and he considered her a good friend, too. Not that he didn't like Gabriella or anything, he just hadn't seen or talked to her in ten years, so he saw her as the 'other woman'. In his opinion, he thought Troy should do right by Julia and stand by her. He wasn't sure if he could change his mind. "I'm sorry, Troy," He said slowly, "But I stick with my opinion and I'm not going to change it. I can only support one decision only. If it doesn't involve being with Julia, then I can't support your decision. I'm sorry."

Troy just stared at his friend with confusion and awe at the same time. "Okay Jason, I respect that." Troy finally said. "I still have a lot of things to think about, too. After hearing what you all have to say, there are some things I need to consider. Anyway, maybe we should all get going. I need some time by myself right now."

"Sounds good. Catch you all tonight at the reunion?" Jason asked. Once they agreed, Jason walked towards his car and headed home. Zeke followed Jason shortly. It was now just Troy and his best friend.

"Chad, seriously," Troy said, "What do you think I should do? It's just you and me here."

"Honestly?" Chad asked.

"Honestly." Troy responded.

Chad was quiet for a moment, and then he started speaking. "The truth is that I know how much you've missed Gabriella and how much you love her. But, in ways I agree with Jason. You need to step up and be a man about this situation. Hoops, I know you man. What do you think's going to happen once you and Gabriella decide to get back together? Don't you think she'll want you to move to Boston? I mean, she's got a pretty hot career there and her life is there now. You can't expect her to move to Albuquerque."

"I don't know, man. I'm just so confused by all of this. Of course I would want to stay in Albuquerque so that I can be close to the baby. But, what if Gabriella does want to move back here? Then we'll be here. And if she wants me to go to Boston, then I'll have to be honest and tell her I can't leave."

"I do feel bad for you. I know this isn't what you wanted to hear at the moment. But, I'm serious when I say things will work out for the best. You'll figure out what needs to happen. And like we said, you always do the right thing. Anyway, I better bounce, I told Taylor I'd meet her for a late lunch."

Troy gave Chad a smile. "So, things are looking pretty cozy for the two of you. I'm happy things are going well for you Chad."

Chad knew his friend was being genuine, but he couldn't help feeling guilty about Troy's situation. "Thanks, Hoops. I know things will work out the way they're supposed to for you. Just have a little faith."

"Thanks. See you tonight at the reunion then."

"See you. Later." Chad said and left Troy sitting by himself at the picnic table. Troy felt horrible. He knew one way or the other he would hurt either Julia or Gabriella. His friends were right – it would be an awkward situation for both women. He wasn't sure if he wanted to put them in that state. Chad had a point, what if he and Gabriella reconciled. Would she consider moving to Albuquerque? For Troy, he had already made up his mind about staying where he was. Was that fair to Brie? Would he be forcing her to make the big life changing decision? When he couldn't even consider moving for her? Maybe he was getting ahead of himself here. It's not like Gabriella had told him he was the one that she wanted. Troy buried his face in his hands and thought about the situation. Troy was thinking so hard to himself that he almost didn't hear his cell phone. He recognized the number as Gabriella's and he smiled. He had gotten her number off her cell phone the night before when she went to sleep because he had wanted to send her a text message.

"Hello," Troy said with a smile.

"Hey Troy," Gabriella said with a giggle. "How's it going?"

"It's going alright. The guys and I just had a good scrimmage with the rest of the old Wildcats. It was a good time. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing well. Taylor, Sharpay, Kelsi, and I just got done at the salon. We all got facials, pedicures, and manicures. It was a great time. I feel so refreshed and pampered."

Troy laughed. "Sounds like it. So what else do you have planned for the day?"

"Well," Gabriella started, speaking softly, "I've been thinking a lot about everything that happened and I wanted to know if you'd like to get together and talk about it."

"You mean right now?" Troy asked.

"Yes, if you're free. I was going to wait until tonight, but I really wanted to talk to you as soon as I could." Gabriella said hesitantly, but Troy could hear the seriousness in her voice.

"I don't know, Brie. I'm still at the park and haven't had a chance to shower yet. Why don't you give me a couple of hours and I'll meet you at my house around 3:00. Does that sound good?"

"Okay, I'll see you in a couple of hours then. Bye." Gabriella hung up before he got a chance to tell her good-bye. Now he worried. He knew he should've told Gabriella he would see her at the reunion, but she sounded serious on the phone and it seemed it was urgent they talk. Now all he had to do was decide what he was going to do for the next two hours.

"Damn it," was all Troy could mutter as he made his way to his jeep and headed home. He knew a nice long hot shower would take away some of the tension and fears he was facing at the moment. He just hoped that Gabriella would arrive bearing some good news, because at this point, he needed it.

* * *

Gabriella was nervous as she stood outside Troy's door. She had arrived a few minutes early and had sat in Taylor's rental car for a few minutes trying to compose herself. This was it. She was going to reveal to Troy Bolton that she loved him and that she wanted to be with him. Taylor and Sharpay were so excited when she told them she was headed over to Troy's. She looked down at the denim skirt she was wearing and straightened it. She also adjusted her white shirt so that it was smooth against her skin. She had contemplated about changing into something else, but decided against it. She wasn't at Troy's trying to impress him with her clothes.

_Here goes,_ Gabriella thought as she rang his doorbell. A few seconds later, Troy opened the door. "Hey," She said softly as she looked at him. Troy was wearing a teal colored polo over some khaki shorts. The teal made his eyes pop. He looked so good that all she wanted to do was throw her arms around him like the night before. But she controlled herself and made her way in.

"Hi," Troy said shyly. Gabriella looked gorgeous today. Her dark hair hung past her shoulders in curls. The white shirt she was wearing showed off her curves and looked nice against her tan skin. The skirt was also showing off her tan legs. He looked down at her toes and smiled. "So can I get you anything to drink? I have some iced tea."

"That'd be great." Gabriella said, as Troy led her to the living room. Gabriella took a seat on the couch as Troy went to the kitchen. She couldn't help but feel nervous as she waited for him to return.

"Here you go," Troy handed her a glass of iced tea as he took a seat next to her. "So," He started, "You said on the phone you wanted to talk."

"Yes," Gabriella said. She took a sip of her iced tea, it was so refreshing. "So Troy, here's the thing."

Troy nodded as he looked into her eyes. "What?"

"This morning when I left, I couldn't help but think that being with you is," she started, "where I belong." Gabriella looked into his face and raised her hand to stop him from interfering. "I have also missed you for a very long time and I don't think I ever stopped loving you either. I haven't been able to say those words to anyone else."

"What?" Troy asked in shock. "But I heard you tell your boyfriend you loved him." Troy said, his cheeks getting red.

"What are you talking about?" Gabriella asked with confusion.

Troy looked down at his lap and felt embarrassed. "Okay, yesterday before I left Sharpay's, after you fainted, I came up to the guest room and overheard you say 'I love you' to your boyfriend. It tore me up when I heard it."

Gabriella slowly started to smile. "Why, Troy Bolton, didn't anyone ever tell you it's never good to eavesdrop?" She teased. "By the way, I was talking to my mom."

Troy shook his head and laughed. "So I worried, all for nothing? That's why I was so scared to perform or be forward with you because I didn't want to force you into anything."

Gabriella took Troy's hand and squeezed it. "The truth is that I love you and I want to be with you, Wildcat." And before Troy could say anything, Gabriella leaned over and put her arms around his neck and gave him a long, lingering kiss.

Troy kissed Gabriella back eagerly and brought his lips to her neck and gave her small pecks all along her neck. He could feel Gabriella quivering in his arms. "I love you, too, Brie." He knew at this point, he should've stopped their embrace so that they could continue their conversation, but he didn't want to stop. Neither of them did.

He felt Gabriella lift his shirt over his head. She leaned her head back and gave him a mischievous grin as she leaned down and kissed his chest. She left a trail of kisses up and down the middle of his chest, which drove him crazy. Troy tugged at Gabriella's shirt and lifted it over his head. He wanted all of her. He laid Gabriella on the couch as he took her bra off and stared at her beautiful body and face. He leaned down and took one of her nipples in his mouth. He could hear Gabriella moan and it drove him crazy. He took the other nipple in his mouth and cupped her free breast with his other hand.

Troy reached down and lifted her skirt up to her waist so he could remove her underwear. He could feel Gabriella unbuttoning his shorts and pulling them off. Before either one of them could do anything else, Troy was inside of her. He was looking at her as their bodies moved together rhythmically. It felt so wonderful. This was the good news that he needed to hear.

When they were done, they were lying on his couch, he was on his back and Gabriella was lying on top. Their legs were intertwined. "Wow," Gabriella said. "Now that was worth coming over here and telling you that I love you."

Troy smiled and gave her a peck on the forehead. "I agree, definitely worth it. I just love hearing you say you love me."

"I love you." She told him again, giving him a big smile. She laid her head on his chest and they were both silent as they thought about their newfound love. Gabriella knew this wasn't just hormones or old emotions she was feeling, this was something else, something bigger. She felt like herself with Troy and being with him was right. She knew they were supposed to be together.

Troy, on the other hand, as happy as he was with what Gabriella had just told him knew that he couldn't keep something as big as Julia from her. "So Brie," he asked. "Does this mean you want to be together?"

"Yes, Troy," she said softly. "As soon as I get back to Boston, I'm breaking up with Eric. I was going to do it over the phone, but decided it would be better in person."

"I understand." He told her. "But what are we going to do about the long distance?"

Gabriella closed her eyes. "Yeah, while I was making my decision to be with you, I thought about that. Troy, there's no possible way that I can move to Albuquerque right now. I mean, I have a pretty demanding career and I've built a life in Boston. It would be hard for me to just leave."

"I understand," Troy told her. "But, I also want you to know that I can't leave Albuquerque either. I've made a life here, too."

"I know that," Gabriella said quietly. "Maybe we can do this long distance thing for a while and schedule weekend trips whenever we can. I fly out here and you come out to Boston. Then maybe in a year or two, either you can move out to Boston or I'll move to Albuquerque."

"Brie," Troy began, he knew he couldn't keep the news away from her any longer. "I don't think I can ever leave Albuquerque, even in a year or two, as long as Julia's here."

Gabriella lifted her head up and looked at Troy. "Julia? Is that you're ex?"

Troy avoided looking at Gabriella's inquisitive face. He didn't want to know whether she was annoyed or confused by the mention of his ex. "Yeah, that's my ex."

"What about her, Troy? It's not really wise to mention another woman's name while you're naked with one." She teased. "Why can't you leave Albuquerque if she's here?" She asked once she saw the serious expression on Troy's face.

Troy took a deep breath. "Okay, but before I say anything else, please just hear me through. You promise?"

Gabriella gave him an odd look as he told her to make a promise. He knew promise was a tough word for Gabriella and she didn't use it lightly. "Okay," she said hesitantly. "Will you just tell me already?"

"See, the thing is after you left this morning. She stopped by."

"Okay." Gabriella said. "And?"

"Well," Troy was really getting nervous. He was really scared of Gabriella's reaction. "The thing is," Troy cleared his throat, "Julia's pregnant."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Gabriella jumped off of Troy and started grabbing her clothes and putting them back on. Troy watched in amazement as Gabriella dressed no more than 15 seconds later. She turned towards him, her eyes were ablaze. "How could you neglect to tell me this as soon as I came in?" She asked, full of anger.

"I wanted to, I did. But then you told me you loved me and wanted to be with me and I was scared that if I said anything, you would leave." Troy said in a sad voice.

"And that's exactly what I'm doing. How could I have been so stupid? I can't believe I almost gave up everything I had in Boston for you." Gabriella said bitterly.

"Brie, please," Troy pleaded. "This doesn't change anything. I still love you and I want to be with you. We can work it out. We can. I know it."

"What's to work out Troy? I'm sorry but this is something I can't get over. You should've told me right away, damn it! Not after we slept together." Gabriella exclaimed.

Troy was shocked. He rarely ever heard Gabriella swear, so he knew he had really upset her this time. "I'm so sorry Brie, I wish I could change back time and tell you right away. But please don't let this change anything that's happened between us in the last 24 hours."

Gabriella had tears streaking down her face, "I'm sorry Troy. I really meant it when I said I can't get over this. I'll never be okay with being in this relationship again knowing that another woman is carrying your baby. I'm sorry, I have to go. Now, let's really just let everything that happened in the last 24 hours be a trip down memory lane. Nothing more, nothing less." Gabriella started to leave.

Troy jumped and went after her. Gabriella was just reaching the door when he grabbed her and turned her around so he had her pinned against the door. "Brie," he cried, staring into her eyes. "Please don't leave me like this. I need you, now more than ever. I'm so sorry. All I wanted this weekend was for us to be together. All I wanted was to win you back. I wanted you in my arms again. I swear and I promised I would never let you go again. I love you, Gabriella Montez. Please stay with me. Be with me."

Gabriella was glad that the tears streaming down her face made it hard to see Troy's expression. She knew that he meant every word but at the same time, she was just so angry at the situation and at him. It was fate's way of playing with them both. She threw them together again and she was now throwing this twist at them. "I'm sorry Troy. I wish I was stronger. I really do. But I can't be with you, not now, not ever. I am so so sorry." She cried. "I wish things were different. I love you, too, but I can't be here right now. Good-bye."

Gabriella started to turn away and Troy grabbed her face with his hands and kissed her. His heart sank as he felt Gabriella push him away. "A kiss will not fix this." Gabriella muttered. She gave him one last look and then opened the door and ran out of there. Troy closed the door and leaned his head against it. This time without Gabriella by his side, Troy felt all alone. Finally, for the third time in his life, Troy let the tears out – tears of anger, frustration, and sadness. No matter what happened now, all he knew was that he had lost Gabriella again.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Gabriella knew she was a mess as she pulled into the Evans' circular driveway. She parked Taylor's rental and wiped the tears one more time away from her eyes. She couldn't believe what had just happened. It all seemed so surreal. One minute she and Troy were making love and the next thing she knew was that he told her one of the worst things she could ever hear. It made her angry as she thought about it. How could he let her be that vulnerable and keep something as big as that away from her? He should've been up front about it. But Troy had a point, didn't he? He had told her that he was afraid to say something about the pregnancy because he was afraid she would run. And that's what she did, wasn't it? Even when he pleaded for her to stay with him, she already knew that she couldn't. This wasn't the type of reunion she was looking for. She was hoping they would start over with no trouble – but now with Troy being the father of another woman's baby, Gabriella knew she wasn't strong enough to deal with that.

As Gabriella went inside the mansion, she looked around to make sure none of her friends were around. All she wanted to do was run up to her room and cry her eyes out. She was extremely hurt and wounded at the moment. She didn't know if she could face Sharpay or Taylor. Gabriella ran up the stairs and was about to reach the guest bedroom, when she bumped into Sharpay coming out of the bathroom. Gabriella looked down at the carpet so that her friend wouldn't see her tear-streaked face.

"Gabs," Sharpay called. "I'm surprised to see you back so early. I thought you and Troy would have made up for lost time." She teased.

"Um, yeah, I just needed some time on my own," Gabriella said, trying to sound brave. She knew her voice was quivering. So she reached for the door knob and turned it to enter the room.

She felt a hand grab her arm. "Gabs?" Sharpay asked. "Something's wrong. What's going on? You left here as giddy as a school girl. You sound weird."

Gabriella took a deep breath and calmly said, "Nothing is wrong, Shar. I just needed some time to rest before the reunion. That's all."

"Gabriella Montez, you're my best friend, I know when you're trying to sound like you're fine. Now, tell me what's wrong." Sharpay told her.

Gabriella shrugged. "No really, I'm okay. I just need some time."

"Please Gabs, let me be here for you. What's going on?"

Gabriella moved over to the bed and sat down on it. Her friend did the same and took a spot next to her. Gabriella looked at Sharpay's face and as soon as she did, she couldn't help herself and she let the tears come out. "Oh Shar," she cried. "Everything with Troy is a mess."

Sharpay reached out and consoled her friend. "What do you mean? I thought you two would live happily ever after you told him how you felt."

"I do, or I did. But we can't be together now. Because he," Gabriella cried, trying to go on, "He got his ex-girlfriend pregnant."

"What? I can't believe that." Sharpay said. Sharpay was shocked beyond words. She hated to see Gabriella in such a sad state, so vulnerable. She felt bad because she and Taylor had pushed her to tell Troy how she felt. "Are you sure? Is he sure?"

"All I know is that she stopped by to tell him she was pregnant after I left this morning. I'm so mad at him right now. He didn't even have the balls to tell me until after we already slept together. I mean, you would think he would say something right away." Gabriella said with a little discontentment.

"I don't know Gabs, if I was Troy, I'm not sure if I would say something right away either." Sharpay offered.

"I know. He said that he was scared that I would leave him."

"And you did, Gabs. It's not so black and white, your situation. I'm sure Troy was just as confused. He's been dying to reconcile with you and after all these years, he has his chance. Then a bomb drops on him telling him he's going to be a father. He was just scared."

"I know, but it still doesn't hurt less. Sharpay, I felt so awful leaving him. He was pleading with me to stay with him and be with him. And I know myself, Shar, I can't be with him, not like this. I'm not that strong."

"But Gabs, this is you and Troy. You've overcome bigger things than this. Besides, how sure is he that she's even pregnant? Did she get a doctor's confirmation? Because if all she did was take a home pregnancy test, those things aren't always reliable."

"To be honest, Shar, I'm not sure. All I heard was him telling me his ex was pregnant and I got out of there as soon as I could. I mean, what is there to explain? She's pregnant. He wouldn't even consider moving to Boston when we talked about our plans for the future because as long as _she _is here, he's staying here for the baby."

"So, what, you can't accept the baby? You and Troy could still be together, just factor the baby in."

"Shar," Gabriella gave her friend a stern look. "Please tell me, you do not expect me to take Troy Bolton back? News flash, he's having a baby with another woman – whom he broke up with two days ago. Are you out of your mind?"

"Sorry, Gabs, I was just trying to be positive. It just seems like Troy wants to do the right thing for his baby, but at the same time he still wants to be with you."

"And I would be with him too if it weren't for all that. I'm just so upset. I'm not even sure if I want to go to the reunion now. I can't possibly face Troy there. And this time, you have to really promise me that you will not leave me alone for a minute. I don't want Troy coming over to talk to me. Promise?" Gabriella pleaded.

Sharpay took a look at her friend and saw the hurt in her eyes. She knew her friend wasn't being rational, but at the same time, she was kind of mad at Troy, too. How could he have screwed things up already? She knew it wasn't intentional that he and his ex were pregnant, but still. She was going to need to talk to Troy herself. "Fine, Gabs, I promise I will not leave you alone tonight."

"Thanks, Shar. I appreciate it." Gabriella looked away, and wiped a tear from her eye.

"Well, why don't you just take it easy for a while? Remember, the reunion is in about four hours. I'll come get you when we're leaving. Or do you want to get ready together?" Sharpay asked.

"I'll be okay. I'll just get ready on my own. I think I need some time to myself." Gabriella responded.

"Sounds good, then." Sharpay and Gabriella stood up and Sharpay reached over and grabbed her friend in a hug. "Trust me, Gabs. Things will work out, okay. No matter what happens, I'm always here for you."

Sharpay's kindness got some more tears as Gabriella thanked her friend quietly. Then Sharpay left the room. Gabriella crawled into the big, comfortable bed and continued crying. She was serious when she told Sharpay that she didn't feel like going to the reunion. How was she supposed to face all their friends with this kind of news? She was sure by night's end, the whole gang would know about Troy and his ex's pregnancy. She just wished she wasn't there to witness it.

* * *

Troy had taken a shower after Gabriella left and was now lying on his couch staring at the ceiling. He was thinking about everything that had happened in the last few hours. He was overjoyed when Gabriella had told him she loved him and wanted him. And he couldn't help but think about their lovemaking a few hours ago. It had been really passionate and intense. He hated the fact that he had hurt her. He hated the whole situation altogether. He was trying not to be mad at Julia, but in some ways, he couldn't help it. How could she have stopped taking her birth control pills and not let him know? It annoyed him and he should've questioned her some more about it.

Troy looked at the clock on his wall, he still had a few hours before the reunion. He knew he should be doing something worthwhile, but it felt good to just lie around and do nothing, but think about Gabriella. He knew he should try and talk to her later. He just had to figure out what to say. Of course he would apologize and ask her to really consider being with him. He didn't want to go on with his life without her. Troy's thoughts were interrupted as he heard his doorbell rang. Troy was hoping that it would be Gabriella and he made his way over to the door.

As he opened it, he was surprised to find Sharpay and Taylor standing on his doorstep. "Ladies," he said. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Sharpay gave him a curt look and said "We need to talk Bolton." Troy looked to Taylor and she nodded, giving him a glare.

_Oh boy,_ Troy thought. He opened the door wider and asked them to come in. "Let's head to the kitchen." Troy gestured for the girls to take a seat at the table. "Would you like anything to drink?"

"We're fine. Why don't you take a seat?" Taylor quipped.

Troy took a seat across from them and felt very uncomfortable. He could only guess what was to come next. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"Troy Bolton, I cannot believe you!" Sharpay started. "How could you be so stupid?"

"Hey," Troy exclaimed, coming to his own defense. "Don't get all up in my face about a situation you don't know about."

"Oh, I'm not talking about the pregnancy." Sharpay said pointing a finger in Troy's direction. "How could you not tell Gabriella the truth right away? How could you sleep with her and then reveal something like that?" Sharpay retorted back.

"You have to understand. I was scared to say anything about it because I didn't want to lose her. When she came over here and told me she wanted me and she loved me, it was the best thing I've heard in a long while. I just wanted to live in that moment for a bit." Troy told them sadly.

"Troy," Taylor said quietly, "I know that you had hopes to reconcile with Gabriella this weekend, but as of right now, you have to stop. Just leave her alone for now."

"What?" Troy nearly shouted. "I am not giving up on Brie. I made a promise that I would fight for her."

"And that battle is lost." Sharpay cut in. "She's not going to take you back, Bolton. Not this weekend at least. We're here to let you know that. We're trying to help you both out."

"But, we belong together." Troy said weakly.

"Yes, you do. But the reality is that you're going to be a father, Troy. Maybe you should focus on that and try to forget about your situation with Gabriella. Just let her enjoy the reunion tonight so that she can go home to Boston with happy thoughts." Taylor offered, reaching out and placing a hand on Troy's arm. "Seriously, we both wanted things to work out for you. But, she's too wounded right now and we can't let you do anymore damage."

"That's right, Troy." Sharpay agreed. "As much as we wanted you two back together, right now is not very good. I think Gabriella is more hurt that you didn't tell her right away about your ex's condition, more than the fact that your ex is pregnant."

"I'm such an ass," Troy stated. "I knew I should've said something as soon as she came in. Damn it."

"Don't beat yourself up about it. You just need to give Gabriella some time." Taylor told him.

"How much time?" He asked.

"As much time as she needs. If you're willing to wait for her, then you can give her the time." Sharpay said.

"Of course I'll wait for her. There's no one else I want. She's the love of my life." Troy exclaimed and then looked down sheepishly as he revealed more than he wanted to her friends.

"Troy," Sharpay said kindly, "We know that your pregnancy wasn't planned. We still think things could work out for you and Gabs – but only if you follow our advice."

"Well, Sharpay, I appreciate that. I just don't want to lose her again, but I'm afraid I already have."

"She's just hurt right now, Troy. Like we said, just give her some time, maybe you haven't lost her after all." Taylor replied, giving him a small smile.

"Well, I appreciate that you didn't yell at me too much." Troy joked. "I admit, I was scared when I saw the both of you on my doorstep."

"We could've been scarier, but then we saw how horrible you look and took pity on you." Sharpay teased. "But Bolton, we're serious; no more trying to win Gabriella back this weekend. Just leave her alone for the time being, okay?"

Troy looked from Sharpay's serious expression to Taylor's, he slowly nodded. "Fine. I'll leave her alone for now. But I can't keep any promises if she chooses to talk to me."

Taylor gave Troy a smirk. "Even after everything that just happened you're still an optimistic one."

"I have to be," Troy told them. "I know Brie and I belong together and it'll happen one way or another."

"See Bolton," Sharpay said, looking at Taylor and giving her a wink, "Now, that's the kind of attitude we like."

Troy just looked at them with a confused look. No matter what anyone said, he would never understand women and how their minds worked. The trio continued talking for another 10 minutes and then the girls left to get ready for the reunion. Troy took the time he had alone to think about his conversation with Taylor and Sharpay. He realized that they were trying to look out for him and Brie. He appreciated what they had to say. He just hoped they were right when they told him to leave her alone for the moment. He just hoped that Gabriella would approach him tonight. _I wish, _Troy thought sadly as he went to his room and started getting ready for the reunion.

* * *

Gabriella took a look in the mirror and adjusted the green dress. She was still in shock staring at her reflection. She had to admit that the dress looked amazing on her. She had spent the last hour and half getting ready. After Sharpay had left her, she had cried for a while then decided a nice bubble bath would ease her pain. It had worked for a short moment. She had been wiping the tears from her eyes on and off for the last 30 minutes. But she decided that she would cry no more as soon as she applied her make up on. She had decided on a natural look. She had dusted her lids with a neutral shade and lined her eyes with a dark brown liner. She had added some blush to her cheekbones and applied a rose colored lipstick to her lips. She had straightened her curly dark hair and it now hung past her shoulders, falling to the middle of her back, her hair shiny and full of volume.

She grabbed the metallic silver clutch she was bringing and put her cell phone, lipstick, her license, credit card, and some cash in it. She heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," Gabriella said. As the door opened, Gabriella turned and her jaw dropped. Sharpay looked gorgeous in the red halter dress she had chosen. Her blonde hair was in a chignon, and she had a red orchid behind one ear. "Wow, Shar," Gabriella exclaimed. "You look amazing!"

"As do you, my dear." Sharpay told her, admiring the way the dress hugged Gabriella's frame. "You seriously are a knockout. The whole outfit looks great. And I love that you straightened your hair."

"Thanks," Gabriella said timidly. "So, are we heading out soon?"

"As soon as Taylor gets here. Virgil will be dropping us off at East High. Ryan, Kelsi, and Zeke are downstairs ready to go. Should we head down?"

"Yes, let's go. I can't believe in less than 20 minutes we're going to be walking through the doors of East High again. Now, I'm getting nervous." Gabriella said.

"What are you nervous about? We're just seeing a bunch of our old school chums. It'll be fun."

"I know," Gabriella laughed, "You're right as usual."

"Now Montez, are you ready to make your grand entrance?" Sharpay teased, offering her arm out to Gabriella.

Gabriella laughed and linked arms with Sharpay. "Let's do it."

The two of them walked down the stairs and heard some whistles and catcalls. Gabriella knew Sharpay loved the attention, but she herself felt a little self conscious.

Zeke walked over to Sharpay and reached for her hand, "Why Miss Evans, you look absolutely stunning tonight." He gave her hand a kiss as Sharpay slipped it into his palm.

"And you look handsome as ever, Mr. Baylor," Sharpay teased. Gabriella agreed, Zeke looked great in black dress pants and a cream colored dress shirt. He was wearing a tie that was almost the same color as Sharpay's dress. They're sure going to be a hit at the reunion, Gabriella thought. They were a striking couple.

Then Zeke turned to Gabriella, "And you, Montez, don't look so bad yourself," he teased and gave her a wink. He extended his other arm for Gabriella to take.

"Why thank you, Zeke," Gabriella told him, taking his arm.

Ryan and Kelsi also offered their compliments as they observed Gabriella. Gabriella felt like she was Cinderella. She knew that she had missed their prom because she had been at Stanford for the Honors Program. She kind of felt like this was her prom night in a way. She was all dressed up and would be arriving in a limo, the only thing she lacked; she thought sadly, was the handsome blue-eyed basketball player that made her weak in the knees. She shook her head to get the image out of her mind. She was going to make sure she had the best time tonight and she wasn't going to let Troy Bolton ruin it. She just hoped her friends would be by her side all night. She didn't know what she would do if Troy approached her. _Let's just hope that doesn't happen_, Gabriella thought, turning to the group and giving everyone a smile. She was ready for the night to begin.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Author's Note: Hey Readers - I know too much didn't happen in Chapter Thirteen - but I hope you enjoy this new chapter. It might be one of my favorite parts. :D Happy reading.**__

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

Gabriella looked around the East High gym and smiled. She couldn't believe that she was back at her old high school. It didn't look like much had changed. All along one wall of the gym, there were photos of their class: the Wildcats basketball team, the cheerleaders, the Winter and Senior musical productions, the scholastic decathlon team and so many others. She knew she wanted to go over and browse them whenever she got the chance. When they first arrived at the school, she had been nervous as they got out and started making their way in.

Martha was seated at a table outside the gym to greet everyone and made sure they all grabbed their nametags. She had given Martha a big smile as soon as she saw her, but Martha just gave her a small smile. Gabriella wasn't sure if it was her imagination or not, but she felt like Martha had just snubbed her. It made her uncomfortable as she thought about it. She knew that Jason and Martha were still close to Troy, so perhaps they knew Julia, too. That must be why Martha had given her a less than enthusiastic greeting. Gabriella shrugged it off and continued looking around the gym; she waved at some of her old teammates from the scholastic decathlon and some of the theatre students.

Sharpay and Taylor had kept their word and stood by her side as they greeted and chatted with some old classmates. Like Gabriella guessed, Sharpay and Zeke were a big hit at the reunion. Everyone was shocked when they first walked in, hand-in-hand. People were also shocked at first to see Gabriella without Troy by her side. Some of the cheerleaders had asked her about their status. Gabriella just told them the condensed version, that they broke up during their sophomore year of college and she was just seeing him the first time that weekend. The cheerleaders had been nice about it; some gasping when she told them about the break up, and others lamenting that they were sure she and Troy would have been married by now with 2.5 kids living in a house with a white picket fence. Gabriella had smiled at them and excused herself before she could reveal how hurt and sad she was by all the Troy talk.

She wasn't sure if she had seen Troy yet. She had observed Jason talking to some of the old Wildcats and saw Chad talking to some of the cheerleaders. She felt like she needed some fresh air. She told Sharpay and Taylor she was going to head out for a few minutes. They had asked if she wanted company, but Gabriella told them, she'd be okay. Gabriella walked out of the gym and passed by Martha again. Now, Gabriella knew it wasn't her imagination because this time Martha didn't even acknowledge her. This hurt Gabriella's feelings just a bit. She and Martha always got along. She wasn't even sure how she should respond to that reaction from her. Gabriella almost headed out of the East High front doors, when another thought occurred to her. She still remembered where the stairs to the rooftop was and she made her way over to them. She looked around her to make sure no one was around then opened the door and quietly closed it after her. She smiled as she recalled the memories of being up on the rooftop with Troy.

She went up the stairs and smiled as she smelled the fresh, crisp, clean air. It felt good to get some air after all the talk she went through at the reunion. She wasn't sure if could handle anymore questions about her and Troy Bolton's status. She got a little giddy as she made the extra steps to the top and stepped onto the rooftop. She gazed out at the city and took a deep breath as she admired the view of Albuquerque at night. It was gorgeous and breathtaking. Gabriella was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't see the person that was already on the rooftop.

"Gabriella?" a voice called out.

Gabriella froze as she recognized Troy's voice. She didn't want to seem childish, so she turned towards him. She almost wished she hadn't because Troy looked extremely handsome. He was wearing a dark blue dress shirt and dark gray dress pants. He was wearing a tie that was a shade of silvery gray. His brown hair was even styled a bit back with some gel. "Hi Troy," Gabriella said quietly, trying to avoid his gaze. She could tell Troy was looking her up and down.

"What are you doing up here?" Troy asked her; curious as to why she was up at _his _spot. Of course, he had shared the spot with her, too; he just hoped she had been looking for him. On the other hand, he didn't care what her answer was because he was happy she was standing there, finally, all by herself. He had seen her inside the gym earlier, but Taylor and Sharpay had stuck by her side like glue. As always, Gabriella looked beautiful. The dress she had on showed off her body and the color looked nice against her skin. He had seen her hair straightened before, but he liked the way it fell down to the middle of her back.

"I just needed some fresh air." Gabriella said. "I was headed outside, but then I remembered the rooftop. So, here I am."

"Are you having fun tonight?" Troy asked, taking another look at her. He knew Gabriella was avoiding his gaze.

Gabriella walked a little closer to where he was and took a spot next to him. She wasn't even sure why she did that, but she knew the spot Troy was at had the best view of the city. "Sure. It's been fun reconnecting with people and finding out what everyone's been up to the past few years."

"Yeah, I know." Troy started, "A lot of people have been asking me about you." He said quietly.

Gabriella nodded. "I know. They've been asking me, too. That may be part of the reason why I needed fresh air. I wasn't sure if I could handle any more questions."

"Brie?" Troy asked.

Gabriella took a small breath as she heard Troy call her by his nickname for her. She knew this might be the part where he started apologizing and she wasn't sure if she was ready for it, or if she wanted to hear it. So, in a meek voice, she asked, "Yes?"

"Brie, I just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry about everything." Troy started, he was about to continue, when he felt Gabriella put a hand on his arm.

"Troy, you don't have to apologize anymore." She told him. "It's okay."

"But are we okay?" He looked down at her.

Gabriella bit her lip as she thought about it. "I'm not sure, Troy. I was convinced coming here tonight that I didn't want to talk to you. But, right now, things are okay." She said thoughtfully.

"Oh Brie, you don't know how happy I am to hear that. I just hope we can get past this and go forward together." For the first time that night, Troy felt the smile on his face was real.

"Troy," Gabriella said, this time looking up at him and meeting his gaze. "I said things are okay between us, but it doesn't mean that I want to be with you." She said sadly.

"Oh," Troy said, feeling his hopes washed away again. "I guess I misinterpreted what you were saying. Sorry."

"Seriously, Troy," she said, "You have got to stop apologizing. Things happen for a reason. Who knows if things would've worked out anyway? Albquerque and Boston are far from each other. I'm not sure if I could manage being so far away from you."

"I know that, Brie." Troy replied, in a sullen voice. "I just wish you would change your mind about us being together. I still want you and only you."

Gabriella gazed out to the city again, thinking of Troy's words. She knew she felt the same way but she just couldn't get past the pregnancy. It just bothered her too much. "I'll always want you, too, Wildcat." She said in a soft voice.

This time without a beat, Troy grabbed Gabriella and pulled her into his arms. "Then let's be together. Let's just do it," He pleaded with her.

Gabriella admitted to herself how nice it was to be in his arms. "Troy," she looked up at him. "We can't be together."

Troy gazed down at her and saw Gabriella's eyes were misting with tears. "But, if we both want each other, then let's just do it. We'll figure out everything else later. Please, Brie?"

She reached up and patted his right cheek with her hand. "As much as that's a wonderful plan, I have to stop this before it gets out of hand. Let's just let this weekend be a special memory, okay?"

Troy thought about her words. He slowly nodded, "Well, then it must be my lucky night."

"What are you talking about?" Gabriella gave Troy a confused look.

"Well, according to what you're saying, lucky for me the weekend isn't over." He gave Gabriella a sly smile.

Gabriella caught what Troy was implying, and she started chuckling, "No, no, no, Wildcat, there will be no more of that." She smiled at him, her eyes twinkling.

Troy didn't know what it was, being up on the rooftop with Brie or the fresh air, but he felt confident as he lowered his head down and brushed his lips against hers. He felt his heart skip a beat as Gabriella reached her hand up to the back of his and pulled it down against hers, her lips pressed hungrily against his. When they broke apart, Troy laughed. "Are you trying to take advantage of me?" He teased.

"I think you're the one taking advantage here." She said, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning her head against his chest.

"Brie, can I hold on to you like this forever?" Troy asked, grazing the top of her head with a kiss.

"I wish, Troy," Gabriella said with a sigh. "This is really nice and all, but maybe we should stop before it gets out of hand."

"What if I want it to get out of hand? I'm crazy about you." He pulled himself away from her so that he could look into her face. "Brie, I promised your best friends that I would give up trying to be with you. If that's what you want, then you tell me that right now and I'll leave you alone."

Gabriella turned her back to Troy. When did Taylor and Sharpay talk to Troy? "Oh Troy," she said. "I can't tell you an answer right now because I'm still so confused. Of course, I'll always want you to fight for me, as selfish as that sounds, yet, I can't even tell you if I want this." She gestured her arms towards him. "I guess, I just need a little time."

"So, there could be a chance for us, after all?" Troy asked, his voice filled with hope.

"Troy, all I can say right now is that the answer isn't definite. I'm not saying yes, nor am I saying no. It's in the air until I figure what I really want. And I honestly think I need to be away from you to make that decision because being near you doesn't help me, one bit." Gabriella told him.

"I can live with that." Troy told her, giving her a small smile. "Just as long as the answer isn't no."

"Okay," Gabriella said, returning the smile. "Maybe we should head back to the reunion before the send a search party looking for us."

"Do we have to go?" Troy pouted. "I kind of like being up here with you."

Gabriella nodded. "I kind of like it, too. But I'm serious, if I don't get back down to that gym, Sharpay and Taylor will worry, seeing as I've been gone for over half and hour now."

"Alright, let's head back down." Troy started walking towards the stairs. He reached his hand out to her. "You ready?"

Gabriella looked at Troy's outstretched arm. She was contemplating if she should grab his hand. Before she lost her nerve, Gabriella grabbed his hand and intertwined her fingers with his. No matter what, Gabriella had to admit, it felt right holding his hand. "But should we really do this? What if everyone freaks out?"

"Brie, I could care less what anyone has to say. This is our weekend and we'll do whatever we want." Troy told her, giving her an encouraging wink. "It's just you and me. Just ignore the stares; it's nothing they haven't seen before."

Gabriella looked at Troy for a minute. Troy was right. She shouldn't even care what anyone had to say. They were adults, weren't they? It's not like her and Troy were dating again or anything. It was just two people holding hands. It was innocent. "Okay, I'm ready."

Troy gave her a big smile. "Let's go." He said and they descended down the stairs together. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Troy opened the door and peaked out in the hallway. "All clear." He whispered.

Gabriella giggled at how silly and mysterious they were being. This time they both peaked out, then opened the door wider and stepped into the hall. As they closed the door and headed back towards the gym, their hands were still clasped together. "Oh, oh," Gabriella muttered quietly to Troy as they approached the table and saw Martha looking at them with an inquisitive look.

"What?" Troy asked back in a whisper.

"I don't think Martha really likes seeing me with you. I swear, earlier, she was giving me the cold shoulder."

"Damn, Jason must have said something to her. Don't worry, Brie. We'll be fine."

As they neared the table, Troy gave Martha a big smile. "Hey Martha," he exclaimed.

She looked at the two of them and stared at their interlocked hands. "Hello, Troy." She greeted in a calm voice. Then not to be rude in front of him, she turned towards Gabriella and greeted her, too.

"You did a great job planning this event, Martha." Troy complimented her.

"Thanks." She responded. "So, where have you two been?" She asked in a sickly sweet voice.

"That's our little secret. Sorry." Troy said, giving her a fake smile. "We're going to head back in. Have a fun night."

Martha forced a smile at them. "Yes, have fun."

Gabriella turned to Troy. "See what I'm saying. She definitely has something against me."

Troy gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry Brie, I guess I should've seen that coming. It's just that Martha and Julia are pretty close. She may have just been standing up for Julia. She probably agrees with Jason."

"On what?" Gabriella asked, curious to hear the answer.

Troy opened the door and led Gabriella inside. As they did, a spotlight focused on them. Gabriella shielded her eyes against the bright light. "Hey Wildcats, will you look at who just walked in?" Gabriella recognized Ryan's voice on the microphone. "Let's give a hand to East High's favorite couple, Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez." Claps and cheers were heard all around as they walked further into the gym.

"This is completely embarrassing. I'm going to have a chat with Ryan later." Gabriella muttered underneath her breath. She and Troy waved at the crowd and smiled. As the noise died down, they made their way over to a table and sat down. Gabriella wanted to know what Troy was talking about when they were interrupted by Ryan's announcement. "Okay, Troy," she said, giving his hand a squeeze. "What does Jason think?"

Troy looked at Gabriella. "He thinks I should do right by Julia and marry her so that we can raise the baby together as a family."

"Oh," Gabriella said, feeling a little sick at the moment. "I guess I can see why Martha's reacting the way she is."

"Brie, that will never happen, you know that, right? I don't plan on being with Julia that way."

Gabriella shrugged and gave him a reassuring smile. "Let's just not talk about this, okay?"

Troy nodded. "What should we talk about then?"

"Perhaps what to do for the rest of the weekend? You are right, the weekend isn't over yet?" She gave him a salacious smile.

"Why Gabriella Montez," he teased, "I like the way you think."

"I really want to enjoy my last day here, Troy, so can we both keep it drama free? Let's just enjoy each other's company and have some fun."

Troy squeezed her hand. "As long as we get to spend it together, I'm game."

"Are you going to your parent's place tomorrow?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's our tradition. We do brunch every Sunday."

"Well, looks like I'll be joining you."

"I know. My mom told me. They're really happy to see you, Brie." Troy said.

"I'm glad. I look forward to seeing them again, too."

Before Troy or Gabriella could continue their conversation, Sharpay and Taylor reached their table. "Gabi, we need to talk." Taylor said in a curt tone.

Gabriella looked at Troy and rolled her eyes. He gave her a wink. "Sure."

"Alone." Sharpay implied, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow.

"Fine, let's go outside." Gabriella said, standing up and hating the fact that she had to let go of Troy's hand. "I'll be back in a bit, Troy."

"I'll be waiting right here." He told her, giving her a big smile.

As soon as Gabriella, Taylor, and Sharpay walked out of the gym and out of the East High doors, Sharpay turned to her friend and exclaimed, "What the hell is going on with you and Troy Bolton?"

Gabriella sighed. "Nothing is going on. We're just going to enjoy my last day here in Albuquerque."

"Sweetie, are you sure that's what you want to do? I thought you didn't even want to be alone with Troy." Taylor said with concern in her soft brown eyes.

"Trust me, ladies. I know what I'm doing." She told them. They both gave her an 'I-don't-believe-a-word-you're-saying' look. Gabriella looked them both in the face and said, "Look, I enjoy Troy's company so that's what I'm going to do. I just want to go back to Boston with happy memories, that's all." Gabriella told them.

"But, are you sure about this? Don't you think you and Troy are going to fall right back into it?" Taylor asked.

"No, we both had a good talk about it and decided to just enjoy the moment. Please, that's all I really want right now. I haven't forgotten his situation." Gabriella said, sadly.

"We just wanted to make sure Troy didn't put you up to this. I swear I almost had a heart attack when you walked into the gym holding hands. Seriously, Gabs, we were scared there for a moment." Sharpay said, bringing a hand up to her heart and pressing against it.

Gabriella chuckled. "Yeah, about that." She said, giving them a questioning look. "Troy did mention that my best friends made him promise to let me go."

Taylor looked away sheepishly. "Sorry, Gabi, we were just worried about you and looking out for you."

"I know," Gabriella told them. "And I appreciate it. I don't think I would be okay without the two of you by my side."

"Aw," Sharpay squealed. "Come here." She grabbed Gabriella and gave her a big hug. Taylor joined their hug as well.

"I'm serious when I say I just want to have fun the rest of the weekend. No questions about it, okay?" Gabriella asked, giving them a serious look.

"Alright, Gabi," Taylor said, nodding. "No questions asked."

Sharpay shivered and said, "Oh, it's getting chilly. Let's head back inside and get some drinks in us."

Gabriella laughed, "I like that plan."

As they headed towards the front doors, it burst open and out came Troy. He was wiping his mouth and Gabriella gasped as she saw blood there. "Troy?" she called.

He looked towards her and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm leaving, Brie."

Just then Jason came to the door, shaking his hand and nursing a bruise right around his left eye. "Yeah, why don't you walk away like the coward you are, Bolton? That's what you do isn't? You walk away from everything!" He shouted at Troy's back.

Gabriella turned and gave Jason a infuriating look. "What's your problem, Jason?"

"You want to know what my problem is? _You're_ the problem!" Jason exclaimed.

Troy turned towards him and shouted, "Don't you dare bring Gabriella into this."

"It's not like I have a choice, Troy, do I? Because no matter what _she's_ always in it. It's always been about her. Don't you get it?" Jason said, angrily.

"Hey, wait a minute," Sharpay interfered. "Don't you even dare go there, Cross!" Sharpay exclaimed.

"Whatever. All I'm saying is Troy needs to give up on Gabriella and focus on what's ahead of him. You need to do right by Julia. And I'll keep saying that until it's pounded into your head." Jason gestured, slamming his fist into his hands. Then he turned to Gabriella, "You just had to show up and flaunt yourself in front of Troy again, didn't you?"

Gabriella gasped. "How dare you?" She shrieked her eyes ablaze. Taylor and Sharpay also screamed out in gasps and protests.

Troy went up to Jason, "I swear, Jason, I told you to leave Brie out of it. This is my decision only."

"You make me sick, Bolton. I'm going back inside and I hope you get it when I say you're not welcome back." Jason turned and headed towards the front doors. He took one last look at Troy and shook his head as he said "It's just so pathetic the way you are around her. And do you know what she's going to do? Nothing. She'll leave you on Monday and you'll probably never see her again. Troy, don't you get it? You've always wanted Gabriella more than she wanted you. She's left you every time! _Every time!_ She left when we all worked at Lava Springs, she left during senior year and went to Stanford early; she didn't even come back for prom! She told you she didn't want to be friends with you during sophomore year. She's always leaving you and she'll do it again. Trust me." This time he turned and gave Gabriella a menacing look. "I don't care what you do, just don't hurt him." Jason turned and headed back inside, leaving Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, and Taylor outside. Gabriella felt Taylor and Sharpay put their arms around her.

Gabriella felt like she had been slapped in the face. No matter how angry she was at what she had just heard, it killed her to admit that Jason had a point. It was true, she was always leaving Troy. She couldn't do that to him anymore. Troy turned towards Gabriella, his face still red and eyes full of hurt and anger. "I'm leaving Brie," he said. "What are you going to do?"

Gabriella didn't even have to think of her answer, she knew what she wanted to do right then. "I'm leaving, too." And she walked over and placed her hand in his. Then quietly, she said "With you."

Troy looked down at her and smiled, "Good answer, Montez."


	16. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

Gabriella opened her eyes groggily and looked around the room. She recognized it as Troy's. She was lying in his bed with her back against his bare chest. She had a pounding headache. She remembered everything from the night before. After she and Troy left the reunion they had come back to his place and had a fun night together. She was relieved as she noticed she was wearing one of Troy's t-shirts. She knew that they didn't have sex the night before. They had both been too drunk and stopped themselves from letting it happen.

Troy had been upset as they drove back to his place. He told her what happened between him and Jason. As soon as Taylor, Sharpay, and Gabriella had left to go outside and talk, Jason approached Troy at the table and demanded to know what the deal with Gabriella was? Jason had once again reminded Troy that he needed to be there for Julia and Troy told him that there was no way he was going back to Julia. Jason called Troy a coward and an asshole, which prompted Troy to get in Jason's face and punch him in the eye and Jason returned the favor by hitting Troy in the mouth. Gabriella shook her head as she thought about Jason's reaction. Jason was usually so level-headed and easy going, but the fact that he kept pushing Julia on Troy was getting on her nerves.

When they got back to Troy's place, they opened a couple of bottles of red wine and had drunk and talked most of the night, which was really nice. They had even played some games like Battleship (which was so worth it when she sunk his ship), Trivial Pursuit (another easy win for her), and Operation (Troy clearly won that, hands down). It had been a great night and she liked that they were developing their friendship again. She blushed as she remembered that they had taken breaks here and there just to kiss and make out, which wasn't so bad either. They were having fun just like she wanted. She knew she must have given him some hope when she left with him the night before, but she had explained it to him that she wanted to be there for him and it looked like he could use a friend, which Troy accepted without a problem.

She looked at Troy's alarm clock and saw that it was 11 am. Maybe she and Troy shouldn't have opened two bottles of wine the night before. One would have been enough. She nudged Troy with her elbow to wake him up. "Troy?" She whispered.

Troy slowly opened his eyes and looked at her. "Hey," he smiled. "Good morning."

"Troy, it's 11. We need to get up and get ready. Brunch at your parent's is at 1:00. I need to head back to Sharpay's so that I can change into something else. Do you mind dropping me off? Otherwise, I can take a cab."

"No, let me drive you over and you can pick up whatever you need then we'll come back here. How does that sound?"

Gabriella looked at him, "Okay, sounds like a plan, but you need to do something about that breath!" She teased.

"You're going to pay for that, you know?" Troy said, giving her a smile.

"How so?" She exclaimed.

"Like this." And Troy reached for her and leaned half of his body over hers as he tickled her.

Gabriella was giggling as she kept telling Troy to stop. Her stomach was hurting so much from laughing. "Troy, I'm serious. Stop!"

Troy looked down at her and smiled. "Alright, I'll stop." He said, then he leaned on one arm and with his free hand he cupped her left cheek with his hand. "Brie, you're so beautiful in the morning."

"I'm sure I look like a freaking raccoon right now. My eye make up is probably all smudged."

"Even so, you're still beautiful." Then Troy leaned down and gently kissed her on the lips.

Gabriella was enjoying these tender moments they were sharing, but she still wanted to make sure Troy got the message that they weren't together. She wanted to make sure Troy understood that and didn't cross any boundaries. "Troy," she said slowly, "Remember we're just having fun here. Drama free, right?"

"Of course I remember," Troy said, snapping back to reality. He sat up all of a sudden and got out of the bed. "Let me just throw some clothes on and brush my teeth. Then we'll drive over to Sharpay's."

"Okay," Gabriella said. She got out of the bed and picked up the green dress she was wearing the night before. Once she heard the bathroom door close, she took the t-shirt off and slipped the dress back on. She checked herself in Troy's dresser mirror. _Yikes,_ Gabriella thought. Her hair was wavy again and parts of her hair stuck up in odd places. Gabriella tried to comb it out with her fingers. Her make up was smudged, just like she figured. She knew she should've washed her face the night before. She grabbed a tissue from Troy's dresser and tried to wipe some of the liner from under her eyes.

In the bathroom, Troy looked in the mirror and groaned at his reflection. Why had he agreed to go along with Gabriella's plan of just having fun? He knew that no matter what, he wanted to be with her. He wasn't sure if Gabriella was feeling the same way or if she was just putting up a wall between them. He knew for the rest of the time he spent with her, he would have to keep his emotions in check. He studied his face and saw that his lip was still a little bruised from Jason's punch. How was he going to explain to his parents when they saw him like that? Troy began brushing his teeth and thought about Gabriella some more.

He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed when she told him that she left with him last night because she thought he could use a friend. He had hoped that Jason's comments had persuaded her to want something more. Then Troy thought about Jason's words. Was he right? Had he always wanted Gabriella more than she wanted him? He couldn't help agree that Jason was right; Gabriella was always the one leaving him. And she would be leaving the next morning and heading back to Boston. Before she left, would they ever determine their status? Troy couldn't help but feel sad as he thought about that. With Gabriella, who knew what was going on in her mind? Would she leave Monday and never talk to him again? As Troy rinsed his mouth out, he made a promise to himself to keep things with Gabriella as platonic as possible. He would try his best not to show his emotions so much. He would agree to her plans of being drama free.

He opened the door and saw Gabriella standing in front of his mirror. She had her green dress on and in the morning light, she looked very sexy. _Calm yourself, Troy_, he thought. He cleared his throat to get her attention. "You ready?"

Gabriella turned to him, "Do you have mouthwash?"

"Help yourself. It's in the bathroom cabinet." Troy grabbed some plaid shorts and white t-shirt and put them on.

Gabriella went into the bathroom and sloshed some mouthwash. She came out of the bathroom and said, "Alright, I'm minty clean now."

"Okay, let's go." Troy opened the bedroom door and gestured for Gabriella to head out. They made their way down the stairs and out to his garage. Once they were in his jeep, Troy backed out of the garage and they made their way over to Sharpay's.

Gabriella couldn't help but feel that something was going on with Troy because he was acting weird. Her hand had accidentally brushed his a few minutes ago and he had moved it so fast away from her. She was hoping it was just her imagination. They really didn't say much as they drove. When Troy reached the mansion's circular driveway, Gabriella got out and told him she'd be right back down.

Troy just stared straight ahead and said, "Okay."

"Troy?" Gabriella finally asked, walking around the side of his jeep to his window. "What's going on?"

"Nothing. I'm just tired." He replied.

"O-kay," Gabriella drawled out slowly. "Back in a bit." She made her way to the front doors. She turned to look back at the jeep and noticed that Troy had his head against the steering wheel. She just shrugged and turned back towards the house. Gabriella used the spare key and entered the foyer. It was awfully quiet, she wondered if the gang had gone out or something. Gabriella went up the stairs and opened the guest bedroom door and nearly jumped out of her skin as she found Sharpay and Taylor sitting on the bed, arms crossed over their chests, neither of them smiling. "Hey," she said quietly to them.

"Gabriella, are you out of your mind?" Sharpay asked.

"What?" She asked in an innocent voice.

"Don't 'what' us." Taylor said. "Do you know how crazy you are for leaving with Troy last night? No one could talk about anything else at the reunion after that."

"Why is everyone so concerned about our actions? So what if we left last night together. We just stayed up all night drinking wine, playing games, and talking. That's it." Gabriella said, defending herself.

"But Gabs, you know that with you and Troy it's always so much more than that. You gave the poor guy hopes when you left with him!" Sharpay exclaimed.

"No, I didn't. I explained my actions to him." Her friends gave her a look. "I did!" She shrieked. "I just told Troy that after everything that went on between him and Jason, I couldn't possibly go back to the reunion. And Troy really needed a friend at the moment."

"Why couldn't the friend have been Chad or Zeke?" Taylor offered.

"Why don't you ask them?" Gabriella retorted back. "Look, nothing happened between me and Troy, okay? We didn't have sex, if that's what you're afraid happened."

"That's not what we're afraid of. We're concerned about your influence on Troy." Sharpay told her quietly, looking down at her hands to avoid seeing Gabriella's reaction.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Gabriella asked, clearly upset by what her friends were insinuating.

"At first we were just as upset by what Jason was saying about you. But the more we talked about it, there's some truth in it. Even you have to see that Gabi." Taylor responded, looking away from Gabriella's face.

"Troy's not thinking clearly at the moment. And neither are you." Sharpay said.

"Yeah, Gabi, it's just that, Troy would do anything just to be able to spend time with you, even if you keep telling him it's all fun and casual. To Troy, it will never be just that. He loves you and wants to be with you. He's already so certain about his answer."

"But, Gabs, it's not like that with you. You can't even come out and say what you want. Can't you see what you're doing? You want to hold on to Troy Bolton as long as you can for the rest of the weekend, but as soon as you leave on Monday, what's going to happen between the two of you?"

Gabriella turned her back on her friends and went to the closet to look through her clothes. She was so annoyed with them at the moment. How dare they gang up on her like this? Gabriella grabbed her Chanel tote bag and threw a clean pair of underwear, bra, and her make-up bag in it. She grabbed a pair of white Capri pants and a sky blue tank top with skinny straps, and a matching sheer long sleeved sweater and threw them in the bag as well. She took the Manolo Blahniks off and slipped her feet into her black flip flops. She went to the door and grabbed it opened, she was about to walk out when she turned on her friends and said, "What happened to 'no questions asked'? I thought you were on my side but it seems like you're all aboard the Jason and Martha train. All I want for the rest of this weekend is to enjoy myself. I can't believe you're questioning my motives with Troy."

Sharpay stood up and walked over to Gabriella. "Sweetie, we're just concerned, that's all. But we have to ask the questions."

"Why does everyone keep asking questions?" Gabriella said, her eyes sparkling with tears.

"Because if we don't ask them, we're afraid something will happen that may cause the both of you a lot hardship and pain. We're looking out for you both." Taylor said, joining them by the door.

"You know what? I can't deal with this right now. Troy's waiting for me and I have to get over to the Boltons for brunch." Gabriella turned and started walking down the stairs.

"Gabriella," Sharpay called after her. "Just be careful, okay?"

Gabriella looked up at her friends and rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say." She muttered. Then she walked out of the front doors and got back into Troy's jeep. She put her Dior sunglasses on and said, "Sorry, it took so long. I had a little visit from Sharpay and Taylor."

Troy didn't say anything as he started the jeep up and left the Evans' driveway. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to hear what Sharpay or Taylor had to say. So he muttered, "Yeah."

It was obvious Gabriella didn't get his nonchalance because she continued. "They were questioning why I left with you yesterday and how we were the talk of the reunion for the rest of the night."

"Great," Troy muttered. "It's just what I need."

"Hey," Gabriella said, "It's happening to me, too."

"Yeah, but you don't have to deal with it after you leave tomorrow."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gabriella challenged. Troy was acting very strange towards her.

"Like I said, once you leave tomorrow, you don't have to deal with any of this." Troy said bitterly. "I live in Albuquerque, Gabriella. Some of our classmates still live here. I'm a teacher at the damn school. It's not like any of this will be hush-hush. I'm sure by now rumors have circulated all over about us."

"Since when do you care about what other people think?" Gabriella asked.

"Of course I care what people think. We all do, don't we?" He asked her.

"What happened to the confident guy I talked to last night on the rooftop? Do you remember him telling me not to care about what people had to say?"

"That was before everything that happened. People witnessed me and Jason fighting. I'm sure by now the truth about Julia is out."

Gabriella scowled at the mention of his ex. "Troy, didn't I tell you not to mention your ex to me?"

"Damn it, Gabriella!" Troy shouted. "Enough of this drama free crap already! Look, what happened between me and my ex is a reality. Why can't you just accept it?"

"Pull over, Troy." Gabriella said quietly. Troy ignored Gabriella's request. They were a few blocks from his house. Gabriella gritted her teeth and said one more time, enunciating each word, "Pull. Over. Troy."

"No." He responded. As they got to his street and pulled into his driveway, Troy parked the jeep and turned the ignition off.

Gabriella sighed and looked down at her hands. "Troy," she asked timidly, "Are you mad at me?"

He just shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure what to think anymore." He told her honestly.

"Okay," Gabriella said sadly. "I'm not sure what to do in this situation."

"Look, we'll go to my parent's house, have brunch, and act like things are fine. But as soon as brunch is over, I want to be left alone, okay?"

Gabriella slowly nodded. "Sure, whatever you want, Troy." She looked at his face and noticed that he wasn't even looking at her. He was avoiding her gaze.

"I'm going to shoot some hoops. If you need to shower or get ready, just use the bathroom that's right down the hall."

"Troy," Gabriella needed to know, "What happened? Why are you acting do differently?"

"Because Brie," He looked over and gave her a shrug. "It'll hurt less this way." Before Gabriella could respond, Troy opened the door for her and closed the garage door. Gabriella leaned against the wall as she thought about Troy's words. She was so confused by his actions all of a sudden. What was going on in his mind? As Gabriella made her way to the bathroom, she turned on the water and once the water was hot, she undressed herself and stood under it. Before Gabriella could stop herself, she felt the tears streaming down her face. She was glad Troy was outside and wouldn't hear her cries through the bathroom door. How could everything have changed so quickly? Troy was purposefully keeping his distance from her. He wanted to pretend that things were okay. Maybe she had taken him for granted way too long. Could Troy agree with Jason's comments from last night, just like Sharpay and Taylor had? Gabriella had never felt more alone than she did at that moment.

As Gabriella finished her shower, she wrapped a towel around her body and one around her damp hair. She took her clothes out and made sure they weren't wrinkled. She noticed Troy hadn't come into the house yet. It sounded like he was still shooting some hoops in the driveway. Gabriella put her clothes on and applied some moisturizer to her face. She took the towel off her head and tried to dry her hair as much as possible. She made her way out into the living room area, which had a view of the driveway. She took a peek out the window and saw Troy was no longer shooting baskets but talking to a blonde woman in the driveway. Troy's back was to Gabriella.

She observed the blonde woman and noticed she was rather striking. As she was talking to Troy, her face lit up and her gray eyes were twinkling. Gabriella felt a twinge of jealousy as the woman kept placing her hand on his arm. She figured the woman had to be Julia. Gabriella couldn't help observe that if the woman was pregnant, she sure didn't look it. The woman was slender and Troy's height. But a lot of women didn't usually show until the second trimester anyway. All of a sudden Gabriella noticed the blonde look her way. "Shit," Gabriella muttered under her breath as she pulled back from the window. As curious as she was, Gabriella peeked out once more and noticed the blonde now had her arms wrapped around Troy in a hug. Gabriella gasped as the woman gave her a small wave and a wink behind Troy's back and mouthed "He's mine." All Gabriella could do was stare at the blonde, her mouth hanging open in surprise. It looked like her plans for drama were far from free.

* * *

**Author's Note:** **Hey Readers - I know some of you might be upset with me for ending Troy and Gabriella's happy reunion. But I just had to throw more drama into it! I needed to show Troy and Gabriella role-reversal. Don't lose hope! **

**P.S. I want to thank all of you who keep submitting reviews - I do appreciate your reactions to my chapter. I hope you enjoy this one!**

**~ Dee**


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Hi Readers - I'm just having so much fun writing my fanfic that I have been rapidly adding new chapters this week. This wil be the last update before the weekend. But hopefully by Monday, I will have 2 more chapters. **

**Enjoy! And always, thanks for the reviews. I hope you like this chapter. I actually got teary-eyed during the last part of this chapter. **

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

Gabriella returned to the bathroom to finish getting ready for brunch. She brushed her hair and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She wasn't sure how to comprehend everything that she had just seen. Had she really seen Julia tell her that Troy was hers? Had she really waved and winked at her? It just didn't make sense. How could Troy talk to Julia while Gabriella was inside his house? Would Troy have mentioned anything to her if Gabriella hadn't been looking outside the window? Before Gabriella could ponder some more about the situation, she heard the front door open. "Troy?"

"Yes, Gabriella, it's just me. It is my house after all." Troy said, with no humor in his voice. "Will you be ready to leave in 20 minutes? I just have to shower and change then we'll head over to my parents. Okay?"

"Fine." Gabriella replied. She adjusted her sweater and tugged the hem of the sweater and tank top down. She had put on a coat of mascara, a light blush on her cheeks, and applied some lip gloss on her lips. She didn't want to overdo her make up. Her hair was still damp, but she was fine with it. She had decided to pull half of her hair up with a clip.

As she folded up the green dress and placed it inside her bag, she tried to think of what she should say to Troy. Should she even mention that she saw him out in the driveway with his ex? Did she even have the right to ask him? Or should she just wait and see if Troy would say anything? All Gabriella knew was that she was very uncomfortable with everything. She picked up her cell phone and sent a text message to her mom. She typed, 'Mom – Need to talk. Can I call you ltr?' No more than 10 seconds later, Gabriella received a beep that there was a message for her. 'I'll be around. Talk to you soon. Love Mom.' Gabriella felt a little better as she saw her mom's text message. Her mom was usually fair and level-headed, maybe she would help her determine what to do.

Troy came down the stairs and saw Gabriella sitting in the living room. As much as he hated to admit it, she looked great. The blue color of her shirt looked really nice on her. Troy cleared his throat to get her attention. "You ready?"

Gabriella looked up at him. Troy was wearing dark jeans and a v-neck red sweater. His hair looked wet, but it suited him. "Yes, I am."

"Let's head out." Troy gestured for her to follow him. They went to the garage and got into his jeep.

"So," Gabriella started, "How was shooting hoops?" Gabriella winced at how lame she sounded.

"It was fine." Troy responded.

"Seriously Troy," Gabriella said, "What's going on here?"

"What do you mean?"

"Almost two hours ago, we were having fun and now you're acting like I'm the plague or something. You're barely looking at me. You're speaking to me as if you are mad at me or something." Gabriella said before she lost her nerve. She felt better being up front about what she was thinking.

"What do you want from me?" Troy asked.

"I don't know, Troy." She said quietly.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about. You never know what you want, do you? You've been doing this to me all weekend. I can't believe I've let it go this long. I'm an idiot." Troy told her, his voice seething with anger.

Gabriella was saddened by what Troy said. "Troy, please, don't say those things."

Troy hated that he had to treat Gabriella like this, but he had to. He had to let her go back to Boston with no strings attached. He was just trying to prevent more pain for the both of them. He didn't even know if he should mention that Julia came by the house earlier. Did it even matter? As soon as Gabriella was gone, his focus would be on Julia and the baby. Julia had come by because she had heard about him and Gabriella and wanted to see if he was okay. She had apologized to him for Jason's actions. If Julia could accept Gabriella being in the picture, he didn't understand why Gabriella couldn't do the same. "I'm sorry Gabriella; I'm just being honest here. I can't let this torture go on any longer. You've kept me at bay almost all weekend. I'm not even sure what you're true feelings are."

"How can you say that to me?" Gabriella cried. "Especially after everything that's happened this weekend? I was ready to be with you. I chose you over my boyfriend in Boston, Troy!"

"Then why can't you admit that you want to be with me now?" Troy challenged.

"Because Troy, things are so much more complicated now that you have a baby on the way!" Gabriella screamed at him. "How can you sit there and force me to accept it?"

"This is why we need a clean break from each other. As soon as this brunch is over, I'll be saying good-bye to you, Brie." Troy told her.

Gabriella was stunned. "Did I hear you correctly? So, this is it? After our nice brunch with your parents, we're just going to say good-bye and that's it?"

"That's right, Brie. Eight years ago, you told me you didn't think we could be friends, and I'm starting to agree with that thought. We have too much history between us and we'll never make it if we don't end it. We just need time apart."

"Oh, like eight years wasn't enough?" Gabriella chided.

Troy didn't acknowledge Gabriella's comment. He sighed and said, "Look, in about two minutes we'll be at my parent's house. Can we agree to be civilized for their sake?"

Gabriella just nodded as she looked in her bag for a tissue. She wiped at her eyes and tried to think of happy thoughts. She couldn't believe that this was going to be her last few moments with Troy.

Troy parked the car as they pulled into his parent's driveway. Gabriella looked in the mirror and plastered a smile on her face. She wanted to look as natural as possible and not give his parents any sign that there was trouble. "You ready?" Troy asked her.

Without responding to him, she got out of the car and looked at the Boltons' home. This was Troy's house growing up. She remembered all the fun times they had there. It didn't take long before the front door opened and Lucille came running out of the house. "You made it!" She called, reaching out and grabbed Gabriella in a hug. She let Gabriella go and embraced her son as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey Momma!" He said.

"Come on in and let me get you something to drink. Gabriella, I have some iced tea, orange juice, hot tea, whatever you'd like." Lucille ushered them inside.

"I'll have some iced tea. That sounds delicious." Gabriella said.

"Troy?" Lucille asked her son.

"I'll have some, too, Mom."

"Two iced teas coming right up! Troy, your father is in the den, he told me he needed help with something when you got here. You want to go check up on him?"

"Sure." Troy snuck a peek at Gabriella. She was standing there trying to look upbeat, but he could see underneath it all she was hurt by what he had said to her.

Lucille came back and handed a glass of iced tea to each of them. Then she took Gabriella by the arm and led her towards the living room. Troy took the time alone to head to the den and see what his father needed help with. The door to the den was closed. Troy knocked on it. "Dad?" He called.

"Come in, Son," Jack's voice was deep and gruff.

Troy opened the door and walked inside. He got a little nervous as he saw his dad sitting behind his desk, his hands clasped together. "Mom said you needed help?" Troy asked in a weak voice.

"Take a seat, Son." Jack offered the chair in front of the desk to him. Troy sat down and looked at his dad's serious expression. "What I need help understanding is why my son was fighting one of his best friends at the East High reunion last night?"

"It's nothing, Dad." Troy shrugged.

"Nothing? That's interesting because I received a call from Jason this morning. He told me something about Julia. Is it true?"

_What the hell, Jason?_ Troy thought bitterly. How could Jason have called his dad and tell him about Julia? What was his deal? Troy couldn't look at his father's voice, so he just nodded his head slowly.

"Well, son, what are you going to do about it?" Jack asked.

Troy looked up and saw that his father wore a concerned expression. It made Troy feel more at ease. "I'll be there for her and support her. Jason thinks I should marry her and so that we can raise the baby together. But I don't want to do that, Dad."

"Because of Gabriella?" Jack replied.

"Yes, it's partly because of her." Troy said.

"Then what's the other part?"

"I just don't feel love or passion towards Julia. I want a marriage like yours and Mom – filled with love, support, kindness," Troy felt embarrassed as he talked about his observation of his parent's marriage.

Jack was touched by his son's words. Growing up, he and Troy were close but he always had a hard time expressing his feelings towards his son. "Why, I appreciate that very much, Son."

"Well," was all Troy could muster.

Jack cleared his throat. "Anyway, does Gabriella know about the pregnancy?"

"She does." Troy said.

"And how does she feel? I mean, after your performance Friday night, I assumed by now she'd be back in your arms."

"She was, Dad, very briefly." Troy said quietly. "Then I told her about Julia and she freaked out. She doesn't want anything to do with it."

Jack observed his son's sullen face. He knew his boy had never gotten over Gabriella Montez and it hurt him to see his son like that. "Troy, you have to understand where Gabriella's coming from. I think it'd be hard for anyone to accept it."

"Well, you don't have to worry about me or Gabriella anymore." Troy said.

"Why is that?" Jack asked.

"Because she's leaving tomorrow, heading back to Boston. We're just going to say our good-byes and leave it at that."

Jack furrowed his brows together. "Son, do you think that's a wise idea?"

"It's the best one I had all weekend. I'm just making it easier for the both of us."

"I'm not sure about that."

"Why do you say that, Dad?"

"Because I know you, Troy. Yes, you can pretend that Gabriella leaving tomorrow is not a big deal, but your mother and I both know how crazy you are about her. It's killing you that she's leaving."

Troy just gave his dad a smile. "Dad, I'm fine. I really am. Now, can we go eat?"

Jack looked at his son again. "Son, you can pretend and act like that in front of your mother and me, but you should really tell Gabriella how you feel."

"Like I said, Dad, Gabriella and I talked about it. We're both going to go our own ways. It's better this way. She's going back to her life in Boston and I'm going to enjoy mine right here."

Jack merely nodded at his son. "Alright, Son, whatever you say. Oh, and your mother doesn't know about Julia."

"What? You're keeping it from her?"

"Not really, Troy. You'll tell her when you're ready to. She would be too hurt if she heard about it. You know how much she loves Gabriella."

"I know," Troy said thinking about how much both his parents loved her. Then he looked at his dad, "Dad, what do you honestly think I should do about Julia?"

"Well Troy," Jack started, "it's not up to me to decide, is it? I'm not going to tell you that you have to marry Julia or anything, but in some ways, as much as I love Gabriella and have always enjoyed having her in our lives, maybe it's time you focused your attention on someone else. Maybe after Gabriella leaves, you should consider reconnecting with Julia."

"Everyone seems to think that, even Chad. Anyway, thanks for the honesty Dad. I appreciate it."

"Alright, enough of this talk; let's go eat. Your mom made her famous cinnamon rolls and I've been dying for one all morning and she wouldn't let me sneak a taste. That's what I'm having first." Jack told him.

Troy laughed as he walked with his father to the dining room. He looked at the grandfather clock in the living room as they passed by. In a couple of hours, he would be saying good-bye to Gabriella.

* * *

Gabriella thanked Jack and Lucille one more time for the lovely brunch as she and Troy started to head out. She had given Lucille her business card and contact info so that they could keep in touch. She loved Lucille like she was her own mother. She had hugged and held on to Gabriella as she said good-bye to her. Gabriella felt tears come to her eyes and Lucille started dabbing her eyes with a napkin. Jack wrapped Gabriella in a big hug and told her to keep in touch so that they wouldn't let so many years go by again.

Gabriella waved one last time at the Boltons as Troy backed the jeep out of their driveway. Overall it had been a nice brunch. Their conversation had been lively and fun. Gabriella had entertained them with some of her court cases and it had earned some great laughs from Troy and his parents. It had felt so comfortable being with all of them. She snuck a look at Troy as he continued driving, really not saying a word to her. She knew what was coming up. As soon as he dropped her off at Sharpay's it would be the last time she would see him that weekend. Gabriella didn't even feel like she could say good-bye to Troy. She just wanted to be with him and hang out with him the rest of the day.

"Troy?" She asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence in the car.

"What?" He muttered.

"Do you still want to be left alone for the rest of the day?" Gabriella asked in a small voice.

Troy stared straight out at the road. Obviously he didn't want to say good-bye to her either, but he had to follow through with his plan. He had to treat her like a jerk so that at least Gabriella would leave here and not be sad about him and Julia. In Troy's opinion being angry was much better than being sad. "Yes, Brie, I'm taking you back to Sharpay's. I need to be alone."

"Okay." Gabriella muttered. Then she thought back to seeing Troy with Julia in the driveway. She knew he was not going to say anything. Gabriella couldn't help it and she needed to ask Troy about it. "So, Troy," she began, "I saw you in the driveway earlier with a blonde woman. Was that Julia?"

Troy was surprised by Gabriella's question. "Are you spying on me?"

"No!" Gabriella exclaimed. "When I got out of the shower I was checking to see if you were still shooting hoops and saw her out there."

"She just came by to check up on me. She heard about what happened at the reunion."

"Oh," Gabriella replied. "Well, I think she saw me peeking out the window. She gave me a wave and a wink, while she had her arms wrapped around you."

"Brie, why would Julia do that? She probably didn't even see you. And why are you acting so jealous?"

"I saw what I saw Troy. She was obviously staking her claim on you."

"Besides, what's it to you if she did or didn't? We're not together, remember? Some people are just clearer about what they want. One has to admire that." Troy told her, twisting the wound a bit.

"Troy, I am clear about what I want." Gabriella responded.

"Oh really? Because I'm confused Gabriella. One minute you love me, the next you just want to be friends and have fun. Things can't always be your way."

"Is this how you really want to leave things? You want to say all these horrible things to me so that I'll leave tomorrow and forget about you?" Gabriella challenged. "Even I know what kind of game you're trying to play here, Troy."

"Brie, you surprise me sometimes with that imagination of yours. I'm not playing any games. You're the one playing them."

Gabriella gasped. "How dare you? How come you're treating me this way?"

"What, Brie? Surprised are you? As mad as I am at Jason, he's got a point. I was always the one chasing you. You left me every damn time when I needed you! I'm just making it easier for you to leave Albuquerque, Brie. No game here."

Gabriella tried to stop herself from crying. She couldn't believe the emotional roller coaster she had been on with Troy Bolton since Friday evening. She missed their tender moments and was shocked at Troy's new behavior. All of a sudden the jeep stopped. She had been so involved with their conversation that she hadn't realized they were in the Evans' driveway. She glanced at Troy and he was staring straight ahead ignoring her. "Troy," she called to him. "Is this really how you want to leave things?"

"Like I said, it's easier this way. No strings attached, right? Just like you wanted."

"You misinterpreted what I said, Troy. What I meant was," Gabriella was going to go on, when Troy raised a hand to stop her.

"You don't need to explain anything. I get it. I do. This is good-bye, Brie. Take care of yourself."

Gabriella just gave Troy a confused look. "That's how you want to say good-bye?"

This time Troy looked over at her and gave her a grin. "Good-bye Gabriella."

Gabriella looked over at him and this time she couldn't help it and she started crying. "I don't know what happened in the last few hours to make this change in you, but before I leave I want you to know this. I love you Troy Bolton. I have missed you so much over the years. I love the way you look at me. I love the way you make me feel. I love loving you. I wish I didn't have to leave tomorrow so that we could be together some more. And I'm sorry if I've confused you all weekend, but I'm only human. How was I supposed to feel when you told me that Julia was pregnant? I was surprised. I was just being honest when I said I couldn't accept it. But maybe over time, I would've. So I am telling you my feelings are clear. I love you Wildcat. And I'll be with you if you'll have me." Gabriella had tears streaming down her face.

"It's too late, Gabriella." Troy told her. This time he turned towards her. "I'm sorry, but you're too late. You should've said all those things you just said to me earlier. Things are different now."

"But Troy," Gabriella started.

"No, Brie." Troy interjected. "Don't say anything else. Let's just say good-bye once and for all."

"But I need you." Gabriella told him.

"Good-bye Gabriella." Troy told her quietly, feeling like shit. He should've been thrilled and proclaimed his love for her, too. But he was scared to give in to Gabriella so quickly. He didn't know if he would be able to deal with the consequences if she changed her mind again. He was afraid to trust her words.

Gabriella opened the passenger door and got out of his jeep. She looked at Troy one more time and he ignored her again. "Troy?" She pleaded.

Troy groaned and looked at her. "What do you want, Brie?" He shouted. "I've been trying to say good-bye here. Will you just say it already?"

Troy felt like a jerk as he saw Gabriella's eyes were a mix of hurt and anger. Troy looked into them and felt awful, but he had to do it. Gabriella just looked at him and without saying another word she slammed the passenger door and ran to the Evans' front door. Troy stared after her, tempted to run out and hold her one more time. But he stopped himself. Troy felt tears sting his eyes. As much as he hated what just happened, he had to let it happen. He had to let Gabriella go because Jason, Chad, and his dad were right. He had to let go of Gabriella in order to focus on Julia and his baby.


	18. Chapter Seventeen

**Author's Note: Hi Readers - I am sad to say that this story will be coming to an end soon :( **

**I've written the remaining chapters and will post them one day at a time. I have really enjoyed writing this story and sad to see that it'll be over soon. I am currently planning my next fanfic and will keep you posted!**

**Here is the first of the remaining six chapters. Enjoy!!!**

* * *

Chapter Seventeen

Gabriella opened the Evans' front door with the spare key. She rushed inside and pressed her back against the door to stifle a cry. She had to hold it in together and make sure no one heard her. Just as Gabriella was making her way towards the staircase, a noise to the right of her caught her attention. Sharpay, Ryan, and Kelsi were making their way towards her. "Gabs?" Sharpay called.

Gabriella turned towards them and this time she couldn't control the tears. "Sorry guys," she said, "I need to be alone right now." Without another glance at them, Gabriella ran up the stairs and into the guest room. She dropped her tote bag and crawled onto the bed and buried herself under the fluffy comforter. Gabriella lied on her side and cried. She couldn't believe the way Troy had just treated her. She thought that even after all the good things that had happened that weekend, their good-bye would have been a little more personal or intimate. He had yelled at her, which hurt the most. Troy had never once talked to her the way he just did.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Gabriella didn't say anything. "Gabs, are you okay?" a concerned Sharpay asked. "Can I come in?"

Gabriella knew she couldn't hide from her friend forever. "Okay," Gabriella called out meekly.

She heard the door open and shut as Sharpay came in. She felt Sharpay take a seat on the left side of the bed. Sharpay tugged on the comforter and pulled it down until it exposed Gabriella's face. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

Gabriella felt more tears cascade down her cheeks. "It's Troy," she finally said.

"What about him?"

"I just don't get what happened. His whole attitude changed sometime this morning. He's been acting so weird towards me. Like I'm the plague or something" Gabriella cried. "I just don't get it."

"Did you say anything to him?"

Gabriella nodded. "I tried. This morning we woke up and we were having fun and teasing each other. Then he kissed me right before we got up so that he could bring me back over here to get some clothes."

"When did his attitude change? It sounds like you had a pleasant morning."

"I don't know. We got into a little argument on the way back to his house. I mentioned to him that everyone was talking about us after the whole mess at the reunion. And then something inside of him switched. He kept talking about how he was going to have to deal with all the rumors and what people were saying while I didn't have to worry about it because I would be leaving tomorrow. Then he brought up his ex. And I kindly mentioned that I didn't want to hear about her. And then he yelled at me and told me to accept it." Gabriella went on.

"Oh Gabs," Sharpay said softly. "I'm sure Troy is just as confused by everything. It hasn't been the best weekend for him, has it? I mean, not the part about you. It's just everything else. All he wanted was another chance to be with you, and he got that, but then he hears about the pregnancy and he gets into a fight with Jason. It's just too much for one person to handle."

"Speaking of his ex, she showed up at Troy's while I was showering inside his house. Troy was shooting some hoops after we left here earlier. I was just peeking outside the window when I saw him with a blonde in the driveway." Gabriella said, rolling her eyes at Sharpay.

"What was she doing there?" Sharpay asked, narrowing her eyes.

"According to Troy, she came over to see how he was doing. She heard about the fight at the reunion, I guess." Gabriella said.

"So," Sharpay started, "What did she look like? Was her pregnancy showing?"

Gabriella shrugged. "I think it's too early for her to be showing yet. I guess she's pretty. Shoulder length blonde hair, striking eyes. Tall, lithe, slender. Take your pick. I'm not any of those things."

Sharpay looked at her friend and gasped. "Gabriella Montez, I have never once heard you put yourself down like that. You are so much more than what she could ever be. Besides, why was Troy even talking to her when you were only a few feet inside the house?"

"I tried asking him and he accused me of being jealous. But I was only asking because Julia saw me peeking out the window. Troy's back was to me and then they were hugging and as I continued to look out, she actually waved and winked at me and I swear, she mouthed 'he's mine'."

Sharpay gasped. "She didn't?"

"She did. And Troy seemed pretty adamant that Julia would never do such a thing. He just kept saying I was jealous and that why did I even care since I was leaving anyway. I don't know, Shar, he seemed pretty certain that he was thrilled I'd be leaving tomorrow."

"Honey, Troy's just acting like that because he's probably sad that you're leaving. He's just pretending he's okay with it."

"I don't know, he sounded pretty convincing. When he dropped me off, he barely looked at me as he said good-bye. And then I did it, Shar."

"What'd you do?"

"I gave him this speech. I told him I loved him and all the reasons why I loved being with him. I told him I hate the fact that I'm leaving tomorrow and that I want to be with him. I really meant it." Gabriella said quietly.

"What was Troy's reaction? From the way you came in, it wasn't good, was it?" Sharpay asked, feeling sad for her friend.

Gabriella sighed and nodded. "He just told me it was too late. He acted like he didn't even care that I was laying my heart out for him. He just said good-bye and that he needed to be alone. He didn't even get out of his jeep to say good-bye or anything. So I was getting out of the car and as I called for him one last time, he snapped and yelled at me, telling me to just say good-bye already. I just couldn't believe it and slammed the door and ran inside. It was so horrible, Shar. I just don't think things will be the same now."

Sharpay reached over and hugged Gabriella. Something was definitely going on with Troy, she thought. She thought back to the mention of Julia. That woman had some nerve showing up at Troy's like that. But what Sharpay didn't get was the fact that Julia had waved at Gabs and then winked at her, like she knew something Gabriella didn't. And why was she staking claim on Troy when it seemed pretty clear that Troy didn't have feelings for her? Something was not right, she thought. "Gabs, for now, let's just forget about Troy Bolton for a little bit and let's focus on you. What do you want to do on your last night in Albuquerque?"

"Go to sleep." Gabriella muttered.

"I don't think so, my dear. Let's go lay in the sun for a couple of hours while it's still out. And then we thought we'd go out for a farewell dinner tonight."

Gabriella gave Sharpay a look. "Not with the whole gang I hope."

"No, it'll just be you, me, Zeke, Kels, and Ryan. Chad and Taylor are off doing who-knows-what," she said in a chirpy voice. "And after last night, I wouldn't even dare think of inviting Jason or Martha. Just us, I promise."

"Alight, a little sun would be nice. Just give me a few minutes to compose myself and I'll meet you by the pool. And Shar, thanks again for being such a good friend. I'm sorry if I haven't been spending time with you this weekend."

"Sweetie, don't worry about me. Besides, I know how important it was for you and Troy to have your time together. I just wished it had worked out, that's all."

"You and me both. Okay, see you in a bit." As Sharpay left the bedroom, Gabriella got out of bed and changed into her bathing suit. Sharpay was right, at this time she needed to focus on herself and forget about Troy Bolton. It was her last night with her friends and she was determined to have a good time. No matter what.

* * *

Gabriella was thrilled when Sharpay told her they would be having dinner at PF Changs. The popular Chinese restaurant chain was famous for their delicious food, drinks, and desserts, plus the atmosphere was great. It was lively and that was what she needed at the moment. Gabriella had changed into a simple black strapless dress. She had put her hair up into a low chignon at the base of her neck and the dress showed off her shoulders. As they were seated in a big booth, Gabriella looked at her friends' faces and smiled. The waiter came by and they ordered their drinks, he had even taken a few minutes to flirt with Gabriella realizing she was the lone single gal in the group. Gabriella ordered a Cosmopolitan.

The group was going around sharing their thoughts on what to eat and order. Gabriella took her time and looked around the restaurant. She always loved the big horse statues inside the restaurant. She looked at some of the other restaurant patrons. She smiled as she saw an elderly couple holding hands across the table, at another table a group of college girls all dressed to their nines toasting each other, and then her jaw dropped as she recognized the couple in the very booth diagonally and across the room from theirs. Troy and Julia were sitting in a booth talking and laughing. She kept reaching out and touching his arm and placing her hand on top of his. Gabriella felt like someone had stabbed her in the heart because that's how much it hurt to see Troy with another woman.

"Gabs?" Sharpay asked noticing her friend was off in her own world. Then she saw the look on Gabriella's face, a mixture of hurt, sadness, and anger. "Gabs, what's up?" Gabriella just nodded her head towards the booth. Ryan and Kelsi sat across from Gabriella and Sharpay in the horseshoe shaped booth so they couldn't see, but Sharpay and Zeke sat next to Gabriella and they both had a view of what Gabriella was viewing. She heard Sharpay gasped. "Oh, the nerve!" Her friend exclaimed.

Zeke just looked at them and said, "Just ignore it, okay. Let's just enjoy our dinner."

"I'm sorry, I can't ignore it." And before she lost her nerve, Gabriella stood up and made her way over to the booth. Troy turned his head and saw her just as she was reaching the table.

"Gabriella?" Troy asked, giving her a surprised look.

"Why, if it isn't Troy Bolton? What a nice surprise running into you like this?" She said a cheerful voice, giving them a fake smile.

"Gabriella, it's not what you think," Troy started.

But Gabriella cut him off. "I'll tell you what I think. I think you're a coward and a liar, Troy. This afternoon you said some horrible things to me and you told me you wanted to be left alone. I laid my heart out there for you. I told you I loved you and I wanted to be with you. And you couldn't even be honest with me so instead you decided to be a coward and say mean things. And this sure doesn't look like being 'alone', does it? Thanks for making things clear for me." And then she turned to Julia, "Congrats on the baby. You must be thrilled." Gabriella said sarcastically. Then she turned her back on them and walked away, but not before turning back and looking Troy right in the face, her eyes meeting his, and said, "Good-bye Troy. Have a nice life." This time Gabriella felt surprisingly good that she had confronted Troy with her thoughts. She held her head high and made her way back to join her friends.

* * *

Troy was shocked as he stared at Gabriella as she walked away from their booth. Despite everything she had just said, Troy thought she looked beautiful. He was admiring the black dress that clung to her curves. _Snap out of it_, he thought. He turned to Julia and saw that she was looking at him. "I'm sorry about that," he told her.

"Hey, it's okay." Julia said, placing a hand on his. Troy looked down and felt uncomfortable. Was that why Gabriella had come over here because she saw the way Julia was acting? Troy moved his hand out from under hers and clasped them together in his lap. He saw her eyes hardened as he did that.

"So, are you having a good time?" Troy asked lamely. Julia had called him earlier and asked if he wanted to have dinner tonight so they could talk things through. Troy didn't want to be alone, so he accepted her offer.

"Sure, I was having a lot of fun until that psycho ex of yours interrupted our evening." Julia told him, rolling her eyes.

"Hey," Troy said, "You don't know Gabriella, so please don't call her a psycho. She has a point. I treated her like crap today but only because I had to."

Julia groaned. "I can't believe it. Even after all she's done, you still can't get over her, can you?" Troy just shrugged, uncomfortable with Julia's questions. "You know, Jason and Martha are right. You really are so sad and pathetic Troy. Look at how much you chase after this woman. Just move on already, will you?"

"Julia, let's just go back to our dinner. Let's forget about Gabriella, okay?"

"Oh, I can forget about her easily. Can you?" Julia challenged.

"I'll try," was all Troy could muster.

"Well, while you're trying, excuse me while I go to the ladies room." Julia got up and made her way over to the bathroom. She almost reached the door when a hand grabbed her arm. Julia turned and saw a pretty blonde woman with long curly hair behind her. "Can I help you?" she asked the woman.

The woman gave her a smile. "Yes, you can help and explain to me why you happen to be 'conveniently' pregnant just as Troy and Gabriella are getting back together." The blonde asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Excuse me, but is that any of your business?" Julia retorted, glaring at the blonde.

"It is my business when someone is lying and intentionally hurtling my best friend." The blonde replied with a glare.

Julia scoffed. "Oh my god, she really is a psycho. She sent you after me, didn't she?"

"Who? Gabriella? Of course not, I saw you leave the table and excused myself because I wanted a word with you. You see, Gabriella's not like you; she's not cunning, ruthless, or a liar. She's all class."

"And what about you?" Julia inquired.

"Oh, honey, don't you worry about me. All you need to worry about is that you better hope you are pregnant, because if we all find out you lied, there'll be definite consequences. Trust me on that." The blonde glared at her one more time then turned and walked away from her.

Julia ran into the bathroom and put some cold water on her face. What kind of people did Troy grow up with? She couldn't believe the nerve of that blonde girl. _How dare she accuse me of lying?_ Julia thought. She needed to get back out to the booth before Troy's time was monopolized by yet another former East High Wildcat. She was relieved that Gabriella Montez was leaving tomorrow. She knew Troy would be focused on her once the brunette was gone.

As Julia got back to the table she saw that their food had come out. Troy, being the gentleman that he was, waited for her to come back before digging into it. Julia plastered a big smile on her face and slid back into the booth. "I'm ready to eat!" she exclaimed. "We're so hungry," she said, rubbing her flat belly.

Troy just smiled and began digging in, using his chopsticks proficiently. While Julia had been gone, he was thinking about Gabriella's words. He knew he had been an ass earlier that day, but like he said, he had to treat her that way so that she would go home angry. He'd rather she be angry at him than be sad because things were so complicated right now. He needed the time away from her, too, so that he could focus on the baby. As much as he hated everything that happened, he had to let it happen.

Troy couldn't help but sneak glances at the booth where Gabriella sat with Sharpay, Zeke, and who he assumed were Ryan and Kelsi because he couldn't really see them. Gabriella was laughing at something and she tilted her head back to laugh. She really was so beautiful and he yearned to know what she was laughing about. Then Troy noticed Julia had stop talking, he looked at her and shrugged his shoulders. She turned in the direction he was staring and rolled her eyes as she realized he was staring at Gabriella. "Sorry," Troy muttered, looking down at his food. And then before Julia could see, he snuck another glance at Gabriella. For the rest of the night, as Troy tried to focus on Julia, he couldn't help but stare at the dark haired beauty sitting a few feet away from him. He couldn't help himself.


	19. Chapter Eighteen

**Since I finished editing Chapter Eighteen, I decided to post it for the readers who wanted the story to continue....ENJOY!**

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

Troy was lying in his bed staring at the ceiling. He was glad that this week was Spring Break, he wouldn't have wanted to teach today after the weekend he had. He was thinking about the previous night's events. After he and Julia had finished their dinner, Troy had tried to catch Gabriella's attention as he walked by, but she ignored him and acted like she didn't even realize he was there anymore. It had hurt him, but he quickly shook it off because he knew it was his fault that she was acting this way.

It killed him last night when she walked over to his table and told him off. He really didn't want to give her the wrong idea about Julia. He had tried to explain it to her but she had stopped him from explaining and she called him a coward and a liar. It annoyed him that she had called him a liar because he didn't think he was. He had wanted to be left alone, but then Julia called and she sounded serious and wanted to talk. Chad was busy with Taylor and he knew Zeke had made plans with Sharpay and the others, and by that time he didn't mind having some company.

After he had dropped Gabriella off yesterday after brunch and they had their messy and horrible good-bye, he had driven out to Lava Springs and just walked around the golf course trying to clear his mind. He felt by letting Gabriella go, he was doing the right thing. Now he wasn't so sure if his actions were smart or not. Why was he pushing her away? She had admitted that her feelings were clear for him. She had told him she loved him and wanted to be with him and he had acted so indifferently towards her.

He was a coward, he realized. Gabriella was right when she called him that. He was downright an idiot! There she was available for him and he let her go, all because he had let Jason's stupid words influence him. So what if in the past he had always been the one chasing her? So what if she had left all those other times? It wasn't as if Gabriella's actions were intentional. He loved her and he needed to tell her. Troy rolled to his side and looked at his alarm clock. He saw that it was 9:00 already. What time had Gabriella said her flight was? It was either at 10:30 or 11. He had to catch up with her.

Troy jumped in the shower and got out within 10 minutes. He dried his body and hair off. He threw on some jeans and a white t-shirt. He jumped into his jeep and headed towards Sharpay's. He just hoped that Gabriella would still be there and he could tell her how he felt before she left for Boston. He just hoped that Gabriella would accept his apology and take him back. He knew that there was no way he wanted to continue his life without her. They would deal with everything else later.

* * *

Gabriella stood in the Evans' driveway saying good-bye to her friends. She was sad that she was leaving and wished she could stay in Albuquerque a little bit longer. She gave Ryan and Kelsi a hug and told them they needed to come to Boston to see her and that she promised to go to Manhattan and visit them soon as well. She hugged Zeke next and he told her that things would be okay.

Gabriella got sad as she faced Taylor and Sharpay. She was trying to hold back tears. "I don't want to say good-bye to either of you," she said quietly.

Sharpay pulled Gabriella into her arms and gave her a big hug. "This isn't good-bye," Sharpay said trying not to cry. "We'll see each other in a few months or so. Okay?"

Gabriella nodded. "I know that. I just hate that I'm leaving all of you and you'll still be here together."

Taylor came over and joined the hug. "Gabi, we'll be together again soon, okay? Shar and I will come out for a visit the next time we both can. Besides, I can always take the train up to Boston or you can come down to D.C. any time."

Gabriella hugged them both one last time and then stepped back and looked at them. "I love you guys," she told them. "Thanks for being there for me this weekend. I don't think I could've made it without you."

"We love you, too," Sharpay said, wiping a tear away. "Gabs, we better get you in the limo. You don't want to miss your flight; it's already 9:20."

"Bye, I'll call you when I get back to Boston." Gabriella took one last look at her friends and got into the limo. As Virgil shut the door, Gabriella leaned her head back against the plush leather interior. She was sad that she was leaving Albuquerque. Despite everything that had happened, she had enjoyed herself and seeing all of her old friends again. Even if things hadn't worked out with Troy, she would at least go back to Boston with some good memories of him. After last night's encounter at PF Changs she decided that what happened between her and Troy was sad, but probably for the best. He made himself pretty clear when he was there with Julia. They were going to have a baby together. She would leave him alone so that he could concentrate on the next stage in his life. If she really loved him, then she would let him be free. It was as easy as that.

* * *

As Troy pulled into the Evans driveway he saw Sharpay and Taylor talking. He pulled up next to him and got out of his jeep. "Did I miss Brie?" He asked.

Sharpay and Taylor were both shocked to see Troy in front of them. "Yeah, you just missed her. She left about 20 minutes ago."

"Damn." Troy said. Then he looked at her best friends, "Sorry," he told them, "It's just that I need to see her. I made the biggest mistake! I love her and I need to tell her that."

Taylor slowly smiled at Troy. "Do you really mean that?"

Sharpay nodded. "You promise no more heartache, no more break ups? You'll love her no matter what?"

"Yes!" Troy practically shouted. "I know she's leaving and I just want her to know how I feel."

"Okay, Troy," Sharpay said. "We believe you. Her flight leaves at 11:00. You have plenty of time to get to the airport and reach her. She is on American Airlines flight 2230."

"I swear I will love her and be true to her forever. Thank you both." He grinned at them.

"Troy, just concentrate on one thing right now," Taylor said.

"What?"

"Go get our girl!" Taylor exclaimed, laughing.

Troy laughed. "Oh right, see you guys later. Wish me luck." Troy jumped back in his jeep and left the driveway. He started driving towards the Albuquerque airport. Troy knew he was speeding, but the usual 40 minute ride to the airport took Troy only 25 minutes. He was glad that traffic was light enough. He parked his car in the nearest spot he could find and ran inside the terminal. He checked his watch and saw that it was about 10:15. He ran to the nearest counter. "I need to book a ticket to," Troy tried to think of a city, "to San Francisco."

The lady at the United counter stared at him blankly, "For how long?"

Troy just shrugged. "Just make that one way. It's indefinite."

She started typing, "Let's see I have a flight to San Francisco leaving at 1:00 pm. Is that good enough?"

"Yes." Troy threw his license and credit card on the counter. "Here's all my info."

She started typing out his ticket. "Any bags need to be checked today?"

"No, ma'am. I'm traveling light." Troy said, giving her a smile.

The lady looked at him and grinned, "You're not running from the law are you?"

"No, I'm not." He said nicely. "I just need to really get through that security gate so that I can tell the woman of my dreams that I love her."

The lady chuckled. "Now isn't that, sweet. Well, here you go. I hope you get her."

Troy thanked her and made his way over to the security line. He was glad it was nearing midday, because the airport wasn't as busy at this time. The line wasn't too long, nor was it short. Troy made it through in 10 minutes and started checking the monitors for American Airlines 2230. He saw that she was at gate B8 and he started running towards it. By this time, they were probably boarding her flight. Troy saw B1, then he went pass B4, as he reached B8, he looked around for Gabriella. He didn't see her anywhere; she wasn't sitting in any of the seats in front of him. Just then a man standing in line bent down to tie his shoe, as he bent down, Troy saw that Gabriella had been hidden by the man's large frame. "Brie!" He shouted.

Gabriella thought she had imagined hearing her name being called. This time she heard it again, loud and clear. She turned towards the voice and was shocked to see Troy Bolton standing a few feet away from her. Gabriella got out of line and walked towards him. Troy met her halfway. "Troy," she said, "What are you doing here?"

"Brie, I love you, too!" Troy exclaimed. "I came here to tell you how sorry I am. I was such an idiot yesterday. And I wanted you to know that I love you. And I want to be with you, if you'll have me."

Gabriella looked at Troy and sighed. "Troy, I'm not going to define anything right now. I just need some time, okay? There have been so many emotions running through me this weekend. One minute I'm happy, the next I'm sad, then I'm mad, I just need a little time to think things through, okay?"

"But Brie," Troy said reaching out for her hand. "You told me your feelings were clear. I'm confused."

"I'm confused, too, Troy. Believe me. After seeing you with Julia last night, something inside of me clicked. You're having a baby with her, Troy. I need to leave you alone right now so that you can deal with that."

"But I don't want to you to leave me alone." Troy said, intertwining his fingers with hers. "Let's just be together. We can figure everything out later."

Gabriella moved closer to Troy and wrapped her arms around him. "Believe me Troy, I would love that, too. But right now, you need to focus on the baby and I'll go back to Boston so that I can really think about things clearly. Just give me some time, okay?"

Troy just nodded his head slowly. "I wish you weren't leaving," he said quietly.

"I know," she said, "I wish I was staying a bit longer, too. Speaking of which, I better get on my plane." She was still hugging him and she leaned her head back to look at him, "Troy?"

Troy looked down and admired her beauty. He was staring into her brown eyes; he could see she was starting to cry. "Yes?"

"Always remember this, okay? I love you so much and I'll miss you when I leave. I don't regret anything that happened this weekend." Then she lowered his head down tp hers and kissed him.

Troy held on to her tightly as her mouth embraced his. As they broke apart, Troy lifted her chin up with his hand. "I love you, Brie. I'll miss you too."

Then Gabriella broke away from Troy and headed towards the flight attendant to board her plane. She turned to look at him and gave him a small wave. Troy waved back, his heart aching. Troy watched Gabriella until he could no longer see her. He blinked back the tears in his eyes and walked to the window to watch the plane. He leaned his head against the coolness of the glass and closed his eyes. Maybe he and Gabriella weren't together, but he felt happy that at least he had been able to tell her how he felt. He just wished it didn't hurt so much to see her leave. Troy stood there for another 15 minutes watching as Gabriella's plane started backing out and heading toward the tarmac to take off. "Good-bye, Brie," he muttered sadly.

As Gabriella boarded the plane, she grabbed her sunglasses out of their case and slipped them on. She didn't want the other passengers to see the tears in her eyes. She couldn't believe that Troy had shown up to profess his love. It was something like out of the movies. She knew that she loved him too, but she had meant it when she said she needed time. They both did. But it didn't hurt less to leave him the way she just did now. She took her seat by the window in First Class and leaned her head against the window. She just wished that things had worked out for them.

It was another 15 minutes or so of sitting on the plane when the pilot announced that they were making their ascent into the air. Gabriella closed her eyes and tried not to think of the plane taking off. Even though she'd flown many times, Gabriella got nervous at every take off. Her stomach was always doing flip-flops. She breathed a sigh of relief as they made their way higher into the air. Once the flight attendant announced they could use their electronics, Gabriella grabbed her iPod and put the earphones in. She scrolled through her music and found the one song she wanted to listen to. She closed her eyes and smiled as Nickelback's "Far Away" began playing.


	20. Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

As Gabriella strolled out of Logan International, she hailed a cab to bring her back to her apartment. She gave the cab driver her address and leaned her head back against the seat. During the five hour flight, she had listened to "Far Away" on repeat and smiled as she remembered Troy's performance. Her heart fluttered as she thought about him showing up at the airport. It was so sweet of him to show up like that, she hadn't expected it. As much as she enjoyed listening to Nickelback's song, she evaluated her and Troy's situation. As much as she loved Troy, she had meant it when she told him they needed time apart from each other. She had to let him go so that he could focus on Julia and their baby. It hurt her to think about that but she needed to do it for both their sake.

Gabriella's cell phone beeped and she took a look at it. There was a text message from Troy – "Glad that I saw U B4 U left. Miss u. Luv u!" She smiled and snapped her phone shut. "Miss, we're here." The cab driver told her, interrupting her thoughts.

Gabriella paid the driver and got out of the cab. She greeted Luther, the doorman, and made her way inside her 12-story apartment building. She took the elevator to the fifth floor and grabbed her keys to open her apartment. As she went inside the apartment, she was startled to find Eric waiting for her. He had a bouquet of red roses in his hand.

"Hey Gorgeous," Eric said. He came over to Gabriella and put his arms around her in a hug.

Gabriella gave him a small pat on the back and smiled. "Hi Eric, this is a surprise. How did you get in here?"

"I bribed Luther and then convinced your landlord to open the door for me." He reached for Gabriella and brought his lips near hers, "Come here, I've missed you." Gabriella turned her face just as Eric's lip neared hers, instead he got her cheek. "Gabriella?" Eric asked giving her a confused look.

"Eric," Gabriella said, "We need to talk."

Eric looked at Gabriella with a sad expression. "Oh, this isn't good." He observed.

Gabriella led Eric to the kitchen and sat him down at her table. "Look, Eric, there's a lot that happened this weekend. There's some stuff I didn't tell you before I left."

"What happened? What kind of stuff?" Eric asked.

"Remember when we were talking about famous classmates?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, when I mentioned Troy Bolton, I should've told you that he's my ex-boyfriend."

Eric's eyes widened. "What? You dated Troy Bolton?"

She nodded. "Yes. I did for two years. And to be honest, I've never stopped loving him."

It finally dawned on Eric what Gabriella was saying. "Is that why you haven't been able to say it to me?"

"I'm sorry, Eric. I feel awful. I really do."

Eric sighed. "I don't know what to say, Gabriella. This is all surprising news to me. I wish you had said something from the beginning."

"I wish I had said something, too, Eric. I'm sorry for letting this relationship go on longer than it should. It's not fair to you."

"I'm sorry, too. You're a great woman, you know."

Gabriella gave him a smile. "And you're a great guy. I really hope you find your happiness and someone that will appreciate you the way you deserve to be."

"Thanks Gabriella," Eric said. "I know this sounds weird, but do you think we can still be friends."

Gabriella smiled at him. "I think I'd like that, too."

Eric smiled and stood up and gave her a hug. "Thanks for being honest with me. I do hope things work out for you, whatever it is."

"Thanks Eric."

"Well, I better get going. I'm sure you're tired and all." Eric made his way to the door and turned to look back at her, smiled, then walked out of there. Gabriella went to the door and locked it. She felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulder. She was glad that Eric had taken the break up well. She really meant it when she told him she still wanted to be friends.

Gabriella went to unpack her suitcase and threw some things into the washer. She changed into some yoga pants and a tank top and sat down on the couch to browse through the channels. She was watching a re-run of _Friends_ when her cell phone rang. Gabriella went to grab her phone and saw that it was Troy. Gabriella almost answered the phone when she remembered that they both needed time away from each other, which also meant no communication. She let the call go to voicemail. She just had to be strong about this. If she needed to make a decision about her and Troy, she would need to do it without any bias or influence. For the time being she needed to move on from Troy.

* * *

Troy was in a state of misery in Albuquerque. Two days had passed since Gabriella went back to Boston. He hadn't heard from her. He had called her every day, a few times even, and she never returned the call. Maybe she wasn't talking to him because she decided to stay with the Boston boyfriend. Troy groaned as he thought about that. He was so sure that Gabriella would be back in his arms when he went to the airport. At least she hadn't given him the kiss off. She just told him that she needed time. And he promised he would give it to her. But it still hurt that she hadn't let him know she was back in Boston. He found out from Taylor that her plane had landed and she was safe.

Speaking of Taylor, Troy looked at the time. He still had a couple of hours before he went out with Chad and Taylor. It was Taylor's last night in town and they had decided they would go out for drinks. They were going to check out the Cue Room, a popular bar and pool hall. They had invited Jason and Martha but they couldn't because they were doing a family night thing. Troy and Jason made up once Gabriella left and he learned that Troy was spending time with Julia. Jason agreed that he would not push for Troy to marry Julia if Troy agreed to give her a chance. As much as Troy didn't want to agree to that, he told Jason he would be there for Julia and his baby.

Troy went to the kitchen to get a bottle of water. He stopped as he saw the photo he had recently put on the fridge. The other day, Troy, Chad, and Taylor had gone over to Jason's and Martha's and looked at photos taken at the reunion. There was a candid photo of Gabriella that he was drawn to immediately, and when none of the others noticed, he had taken it from the pile. Gabriella looked so lively in the photo. She was laughing at something and had a hand covering her mouth and her eyes were sparkling. It was just such a natural shot of Gabriella. It made him smile to look at it. He wanted to hear her voice. Troy picked up his cell phone and dialed Gabriella's number again. It ranged four times before it went to voicemail. _No surprise there_, he thought. He listened to Gabriella's voicemail message and after the beep, he said "Hey Brie, it's me. If you get a chance, call me." Troy sighed as he closed his cell phone.

Chad and Taylor picked Troy up before heading to the Cue Room. Troy smiled as he observed Chad and Taylor's body language. He knew that when they both left Albuquerque, those two would be together for a long time. He was happy for them. _At least one reunion made it past the weekend_, he thought bitterly.

"So, Taylor," Troy was trying to act casual, "have you heard from Gabriella recently?"

Taylor turned to face Troy. "I just talked to her earlier. She said to say 'hi' to the both of you."

"Is she doing okay?" Troy asked again.

"Troy, I thought you and Gabriella were good?" Chad interjected.

Troy had told them the gist of what happened at the airport. "Well, I thought we were okay, too. But she hasn't returned any of my calls or text. What's up with that Taylor?"

Taylor gave Troy and apologetic look. "Sorry Troy, all Gabriella said to me was that she needed some time, which includes no calls, emails, text, and all of the above. Just be patient, okay?"

"I'll try," Troy said, "but it's driving me nuts."

"Well, here's some good news you might like." Taylor said giving Troy a smirk.

"What? I could use it." Troy told her.

"It looks like you must have had some affect on her this weekend because she broke up with her boyfriend as soon as she got back to Boston."

"She did?" Troy asked feeling his smile widen.

"Yes, she did. Just give her some time and she'll be back before you know it." Taylor advised.

"Thanks Tay, I appreciate it. You're truly a wonderful person, you know that?"

Taylor giggled as Chad chimed in, "She really is wonderful." Troy watched as Chad placed his hand over Taylor's.

Troy was ready to let loose and have some fun. Now that he knew Gabriella was no longer with her boyfriend, he felt ecstatic and relieved. He was looking forward to shooting some pool as Chad pulled into the parking lot. Once they parked, the trio got out and made their way to the door. Chad and Taylor were now holding hands as they went inside the Cue Room. For a Wednesday night it wasn't too crowded. Troy saw that there were a few pool tables open. Chad went to the bar to reserve one of the tables and get some pool balls. Troy noticed a group of girls at the bar, they seemed to be having a good time doing shots and flirting with the guys around the bar. Troy went to the rack of cue sticks to select the one he wanted to use. Taylor joined him and selected one herself.

Chad came back with the balls and led the to a pool table in the corner. A bartender came over to take their drink order. Both Troy and Chad ordered Sam Adams, while Taylor ordered a gin and tonic. Troy also ordered a basket of fries to munch on. Chad racked the balls and Troy took the first shot to break the balls up. They had decided to play a game of Cutthroat. Troy sunk in the 2-ball and the 9-ball. Troy took another turn and sunk the 3-ball into the corner pocket. He picked lows – so it was now his objective to get the remaining low balls (1-5) into the pockets. Troy looked at the table to determine what his next shot should be, he aimed for the 4-ball but was a tad short. "Damn," he muttered.

Chad looked at Taylor. "You can go next babe." Taylor smiled at him and looked at the balls. She noticed earlier that Troy had sunk the 9-ball in, so it would be smart of her to sink in a middle ball (6-10). She aimed for the 7-ball and she missed the pocket by a long shot.

Both Chad and Troy laughed at Taylor's attempt. She stuck her tongue out at them. "Alright, Hot Shot," she said to Chad. "Let's see your skills."

"Don't mind if I do," Chad said as he lined up the 6-ball. He eyed the side pocket and hit the cue ball with little force and it bumped the 6-ball right into the pocket. "See how easy that was?" He teased.

"Okay, Show Off, can you be two-for-two though?" Taylor challenged.

Chad lowered himself to line up the 7-ball, just as he was about to take a shot, Taylor walked up behind Chad and lowered her mouth to his ear and blew into it, which caused Chad to jerk his arm and miss the shot. Troy and Taylor laughed. "Hey, that's cheating, McKessie!" Chad grabbed her around the waist and Taylor laughed and tried to squirm out of his arms.

Troy was having a fun time with his friends. "Alright, you two, that's enough. It's my turn again." Troy lined up the 3-ball and made it in. "I'm on fire tonight." He said. "Let's see, should I go for the 1 or the 5?" Troy had an easy shot with the 1-ball and clearly sunk it in. Before Troy attempted to get his last ball in, the bartender returned with their drinks and the basket of fries. Troy turned back to the game and called the side pocket as he sunk the 5-ball in. "Sweet!" Troy exclaimed.

"Rematch!" Taylor called out.

Troy laughed. "I'm going to enjoy my beer and fries here. I'll let you two warm-up, you both need it!"

"Very funny, Hoops." Chad retorted. He racked the balls again and this time he let Taylor break. They both laughed again at Taylor's sad attempt to break the balls apart. As she hit the balls, only one ball rolled away from the rack.

"Hey, no laughing!" Taylor exclaimed. "I don't play this game often."

"Okay babe," Chad went up to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "No more laughing, I promise."

Troy looked around the Cue Room some more. The girls at the bar were louder than usual now. There were five of them. He observed as two of the girls got on the bar to dance. The bartender was smiling at them and clapping. Both girls were blonde and moving their bodies to the music. All of a sudden one of the blonde's face came into view and Troy felt his jaw drop. "Julia?" He said more to himself.

Taylor heard him and said "What about Julia?"

"I think that's her on the bar over there." Troy nodded in her direction.

Taylor turned and gasped. "Oh my God. What the hell is she doing dancing on a bar, especially in her condition?"

Chad was also shocked. "Hoops? I always heard pregnant woman aren't supposed to be drinking? Bad for the baby and all, you know?."

"Don't worry; I'm going over there right now." Troy got up and walked over to the bar. Julia was still dancing when she saw Troy approach.

"Hey Troy," she slurred. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Troy replied.

"Troy, these are some of my college friends. Girls, this is my boyfriend Troy. The one I've been telling you about."

Troy rolled his eyes and said to her friends. "We used to go out." Then he looked up at Julia, "Julia, we broke up, remember? Why don't you come down here so we can continue this talk?" Troy reached a hand out to her. Julia grabbed his hand and jumped down; as soon as her feet landed on the floor she wrapped her arms around Troy and tried to kiss him. Troy pulled her away from him. "Julia, what the hell is going on?"

"Kiss me, Troy. Please. Pretty please." She was pouting and pleading with him. Troy had to inch his head away from hers because her breath reeked of alcohol.

"Julia, why are you out drinking? It's not good for the baby."

As Troy mentioned the baby, Julia burst out in hysterical laughter. "Troy, I have news for you. There is no baby!" She exclaimed as she patted her flat stomach.

"What? Excuse me?" Troy asked, suddenly feeling very angry. "What do you mean there's no baby?"

"Troy, I just said I was pregnant to get you back." She slurred.

"You lied to me?" Troy exclaimed.

"Of course I did. It's not like I had a choice. Troy we dated for a year. A year!" She shouted. "As soon as you heard that your psycho ex would be here for the reunion, you just dumped me! I was hurt. I wanted you to love me." By this time, Julia was crying.

Her friends came over to console her. Troy ignored their stares and glares.

"Julia, why would you lie about something like this? Do you know how much pain you caused all the people I love with this lie? Jason and I got into a fight about it. You ruined my chances with Gabriella." Troy knew he was shouting now but he didn't' care.

"You were just too easy, Troy. I knew the only way I could get you back was if I lied and said I was pregnant. Everyone says you're a good guy and you would do the right thing. I figured as soon as Gabriella was gone, I'd have you back."

"Julia, I will never forgive you. You intentionally ruined my reunion with Brie. I can't believe how childish you are. As of right now, we're done. We are not friends anymore. Just stay out of my life." Troy turned his back on her and walked away.

"Troy, I only did it because I love you. Please don't leave me." Julia wailed after him.

Troy ignored her and went back to Chad and Taylor, who had been observing his conversation with Julia. He shook his head and said "She was never pregnant."

Taylor gasped. "The nerve of that girl. How could she do that?"

Troy just shrugged his shoulders. "I'm still shocked by it. She just wanted to say she was pregnant because she thought I would go back to her."

"That's absurd! She wanted to force you to be with her?" Chad exclaimed.

"Hey, people do crazy things. Julia was just desperate. That's all." Troy said.

"Well, you know what you need to do, don't you?" Chad asked.

"What?"

Chad and Taylor looked at each other and rolled their eyes. "Troy, this is your chance to go to Gabriella and tell her the truth. Tell her that it was all a lie." Taylor told him.

"I don't know if it'll be that simple." Troy commented.

"Hoops, you love the woman. Go fight for her." Chad urged.

"I promised to give her time, remember?" Troy gave them an encouraging smile, "Besides," he went on, "Don't worry about me because I have a plan to win her back and when the time is right, I'll let you both know. Okay?" Taylor and Chad agreed and dropped the subject of Troy going to Gabriella. Troy felt so relieved that he no longer had to worry about having a baby on the way. He couldn't believe Julia's actions. Now that he was free of Julia, Troy's mind was pretty clear about what he wanted to do. As soon as the time was right, he would get his girl back, there was no doubt about that.

* * *

**Author's Note: At last the truth comes out. There was no possible way that I would ever make Julia pregnant for real. Thanks for all the reviewers who kept asking if she was or wasn't. **


	21. Chapter Twenty

**Author's Note: We're getting close to the end.....thanks for reading and all the kind reviews I've received. I appreciate it!!!**

* * *

Chapter Twenty

Gabriella was on the phone with Sharpay and Taylor. It was their bi-weekly conference call. Gabriella couldn't believe that three months had passed since the weekend of the reunion. It was also three months since she had last spoken to Troy. She had kept up her end of the bargain and had not give in to calling him, texting him, or emailing him. She had made a promise and she was sticking to it.

"So, Gabriella, how is everything going in Boston?" Taylor asked.

"Things are going well. My work load has increased immensely now that it's the middle of summer." Gabriella replied.

"Have you even had time to find some fun?" Sharpay asked.

Gabriella laughed. "I wish." She said. "But from time-to-time, I've gone out for drinks with some co-workers and Eric."

"So you and Eric really are friends now?" Taylor inquired.

"Surprisingly, we are. And I'm relieved that it doesn't feel awkward to hang out with him. I'm glad we're still talking. He recently started dating someone and he seems pretty excited about it."

"Doesn't that feel weird though?" Sharpay asked.

"No, not really. As much as I cared about Eric, I knew I could never give him what he wanted. So I'm glad he's found someone who possibly can."

"Speaking of exes," Taylor interjected, "Are you talking to Troy yet?"

Gabriella felt sad as she thought about it. "No, I haven't spoken to him since I left Albuquerque. I'm just trying to move on from Troy for now. We both need the time away from each other."

"But Gabs," Sharpay said, "isn't eight years and three months enough time? I mean, the whole thing with Julia was a lie. We told you about that as soon as we found out. We didn't want to interfere then, but now that it's three months later, you have to give the poor guy a call or something at least."

"Yes," Taylor suggested. "Sweetie, that man is miserable in Albuquerque. He just wants to hear from you. Can't you just text him at least? Tell him you're okay, that you miss him?"

Gabriella was quiet as she thought about what her friends were saying. "I don't know, guys. I've just gotten used to not thinking about him. I'm trying to move on."

"What?" Sharpay exclaimed. "Gabriella, we know you. For the last few months, we can hear it in your voice how much you miss him. You can tell yourself you're moving on, but you're not. You and Troy belong together."

"Yes you do." Taylor interjected. "Even after all the drama that happened at the reunion and with Julia, you know you belong together. Troy hasn't given up hope, how can you?"

Gabriella sighed, "Because I just have to move on, okay? Despite the sweet things that happened at the reunion, it doesn't change the horrible things that also happened. We said some things to each other that we shouldn't have said. I really need a break from all of it, okay?"

"But Gabs," Sharpay told her. "You can't be mad forever. Troy Bolton loves you and he wants to be with you. Don't you love him?"

"Of course I do, I always will," Gabriella started, "but things happen for a reason. Maybe it's better this way."

Taylor snorted. "What's better this way? That you both are miserable for the rest of your lives? Gabi, we love you and all, but we have to say this – you're being stupid."

Gabriella gasped. "What's that suppose to mean?" She wasn't sure if she should be concerned or angry.

"Just that you're being stupid about the whole Troy situation. You both love each other and it's obvious you belong together, but you're preventing it from happening just because you're scared." Sharpay offered. "It's just that you and Troy don't realize how lucky you are. Lots of people spend years looking for their soul mate and yours is readily available and waiting for you and you won't even consider it."

Gabriella sighed. "Alright, enough already. Can we just talk about something else?"

"Gabs, just don't give up on you and Troy, okay?" Sharpay asked her.

"Fine, I'll think about it. Sound fair?" Gabriella told them.

"Good enough for me." Taylor said.

"Me too." Sharpay replied.

"Now seriously, what's been going on with you both? Taylor, how's Chad?" Gabriella asked.

"Well, Chad and I are dating exclusively. We'll be doing the long distance thing, but it's worth it. I'll be heading out to L.A. in a month or so."

"That's great news, Tay!" Sharpay exclaimed. "While you're in L.A., you better come visit me and Zeke."

"Of course, I will. Anyway, besides Chad, I'm enjoying my new role as an editor for _Ms. Magazine_. I love it!"

"Congrats Taylor!" Gabriella said. "I know how excited you were when you told us about switching jobs. I'm glad everything is working out. Sharpay, what's going on with you and Zeke?"

"Well, I still have my talk show which is great. But the most amazing thing happened the other day, I've been asked to launch my own line of cosmetics. Isn't it fabulous?" Sharpay exclaimed.

"That's wonderful." Taylor offered.

"It really is great, Shar," Gabriella said. "When do you start working on it?"

"I meet with the cosmetics team next week. I'm so excited. Anyway, enough about me, wait till I tell you about Zeke's new gig?"

"What?" Gabriella asked.

"Zeke's been asked by the producers of _Top Chef_ to be a guest judge on an episode devoted to desserts. Isn't that wonderful?"

"I _love_ that show." Taylor and Gabriella said at the same time. This erupted laughter between the trio. "When does his episode appear?" Gabriella asked.

"It'll be later in the fall." Sharpay said.

"We promise not to miss it." Taylor told her.

"So," Gabriella started. "How is everyone else doing?"

"Well, Kelsi and Ryan are really having fun with their pregnancy. Kelsi's getting so big! She's already seven months. I can't wait for the baby to be here." Sharpay exclaimed.

"Do they know if it's a boy or a girl?" Taylor asked.

"They want it to be a surprise, so I've been buying a bunch of neutral colored things for the baby. I've decided white is a great color for babies." Sharpay joked.

Gabriella started laughing. "I'm going up to Manhattan for their baby shower in a few weeks. I can't wait to see them."

"Alright, Gabs, you and I are going out on the town when I'm there, too!" Sharpay said.

"Aww, I wish I could make it to the shower, but because I'm going to L.A., I can only take so much time off. No fair, you'll have fun without me." Taylor told them.

"Not as much fun if you're not there with us," Gabriella lamented. "Anyway, we do need to have our little own girls weekend sometime. I could sure use it."

"Well, Gabs, it's a good thing you mentioned that." Sharpay said.

"What do you mean?" Gabriella asked.

"Taylor and I were talking the other day and we were going to surprise you with a visit this weekend, but we might as well let you know right now." Sharpay teased.

"You're both going to be in Boston? Oh my God! That's great news!" Gabriella shouted into the phone.

"Ouch Gabi," Taylor teased. "Excited much?"

Gabriella laughed. "It's just that I've missed you both so much and I'm glad we'll be together soon. We'll do dinner, go shopping, get pampered, and so much more. When are you getting in?"

"Well, instead of flying, I'll be taking the train up, so I'll get into Boston at about 5:30 Friday night." Taylor said.

"And my plane gets in at about 4:30." Sharpay replied.

"I'll come pick you both up." Gabriella said. "I'll leave work early, swing by the airport to get Shar, and then we'll come by for you, Tay."

"Sounds like a plan!" Sharpay agreed.

Then Gabriella groaned as she looked at her calendar. "Why is it only Tuesday? Friday seems so long away."

Her friends giggled at her reaction. "Before you know it, we'll be together." Taylor told her.

"Alright, I better get going since it's almost 10:30 and I need to get some sleep. Good night ladies!" Gabriella said.

"Good night!" Sharpay called out.

"Good night!" Taylor repeated.

Gabriella smiled as she closed her cell phone. She couldn't wait for the weekend to come. It was exactly what she needed. She missed her best friends and couldn't wait to hang out with them. A girls weekend would definitely keep her distracted enough to stop thinking about Troy Bolton.

* * *

Troy sat in the chair adjusting his carry-on bag. He looked at the ticket in his hand. In about five hours, he would be in Boston. He couldn't wait. He hadn't been to Boston since he left the Celtics a few years ago. He just hoped that Gabriella would be happy to see him. He felt a rush of excitement thinking about seeing her for the first time in three months.

He would get into Boston by 11:30 pm, so it would be too late to do anything that night. He just hoped that Taylor and Sharpay kept up their end of the bargain. The plan would only work if they kept to the devised schedule the three of them planned. He was going to win Gabriella back and he felt confident this weekend was the one. On Saturday, while the girls took Gabriella out shopping and to lunch. Troy was going to go to Gabriella's apartment and she would come back to find him waiting for her. He would ask her to be with him again and voila, they would live happily ever after. Troy just hoped that the plan went the way he wanted it to; otherwise, he would feel like a fool.

He was sad that so much time had gone by without hearing from Gabriella, but Taylor and Sharpay had insisted that she still loved him and missed him. Gabriella was just going through a phase. He had missed Gabriella like crazy over the last three months. It pained him that she hadn't returned any of his calls, text messages, or emails. But Taylor had told him, she just needed time and not to take it personal. Troy did his best not to care, but it wounded his ego.

He knew that by now she had already learned that Julia was never pregnant. He had hoped that Gabriella would have called him about it. Thinking about Julia made Troy angry. He couldn't believe the nerve of her. For the rest of the school year, Troy ignored Julia and only talked to her if it related to matters of East High. Otherwise, he made it clear that he didn't value her as a friend. At the end of the school year, Julia put in a transfer to another school in the district.

Troy spent the rest of the school year being busy with basketball practice, hanging out with Jason and Martha and their kids, and playing with a Siberian husky named Huck that he adopted from the local Humane Society. Huck was a wonderful companion and they had bonded immediately. He liked having Huck around. It made life a little less mundane.

Now that is was summer, Troy went into the school from time-to-time to set up his syllabi for the next school year; otherwise he went out to Lava Springs and played golf. One of the perks of being a teacher was having three months off. He loved it. If he could have, he would've gone to Boston once school was out and spend all his free time with Gabriella. Troy smiled as he thought about seeing Gabriella and got in line to board his plane. _Soon enough_, he thought.

* * *

Gabriella couldn't remember the last time she had this much fun with Taylor and Sharpay. When they got in the night before, they had gone out to Dali, one of Gabriella's favorite restaurants. They had ordered sangria and lots of tapas. They had eaten a little bit of everything. After dinner, they had walked to a little bar and had some more drinks. Luckily they had all gotten back to Gabriella's apartment by 1:00 am and fell asleep immediately.

That morning when they woke up, Gabriella had made them all breakfast. They left her apartment at about 10:30 to do some shopping. They were new walking down Newberry Street checking out all the posh little boutiques. Gabriella loved walking down the street and seeing all the cute shops. They had browsed through the racks at Betsey Johnson, French Connection, Chanel, Diesel, and Marc Jacobs. Gabriella bought some new heels at Marc Jacobs, Taylor had bought a couple of pairs of dress pants from French Connection, and Sharpay grabbed a little bit of everything from everywhere.

Sharpay checked her watch and saw that it was 1:00 pm. She looked at Taylor and winked. They had about a couple of hours before they were supposed to get Gabriella back to the apartment for her little surprise. "Hey, let's grab some lunch. I saw a sushi place down the street. Are you all okay with that?"

Gabriella nodded, "After the shopping excursion we just had, sushi would be excellent."

Laden with their shopping bags, the friends made their way to the restaurant. The lunch crowd had died down now that it was after 1:00 pm. They were seated at a booth and the waitress took their drink order. Gabriella ordered some hot tea for the whole table and some waters.

As they browsed at their menus, Gabriella was trying to decide what she wanted to eat. The bento boxes were always a good choice. It came with a variety of food. "What are you thinking about getting?" She asked them.

Taylor closed her menu. "I'm getting bento box A – chicken teriyaki, with tempura, and sashimi. You?"

Sharpay wrinkled her nose. "I'm going to get the seafood steamer basket. It sounds delish. Gabs?"

"I love the salmon teriyaki, so I'll get that." The waitress came back and took their food order. Gabriella took a sip of her tea and smiled at her friends. After the waitress left to put their order in, Gabriella looked at her best friends and smiled. "I'm so glad that you're both in Boston."

"We are, too, Gabs. Thanks for hosting us!" Sharpay said.

"Anytime. I'm just glad to get visitors. As much as I love my life out here, it can get lonely from time-to-time. I have some good friends out here, but I just feel so comfortable being with you both." Gabriella smiled at them.

"I feel the same way back in L.A." Sharpay told her.

"Same here." Taylor said.

"I wish we could all live in the same place so that we could see each other anytime we want. I'm just glad that we've kept touch over the years." Gabriella said. She noticed Sharpay was looking at her watch. They just placed their order a few minutes ago, she knew the food would be out very soon. Sharpay must be really hungry, Gabriella thought.

"Where would we all want to live if we had to pick the same place?" Taylor asked.

Gabriella thought for a bit. "Hmmmm. Maybe I would consider moving back to Albuquerque in my old age or something. It really is beautiful there and I always considered it 'home' after all the times I've moved around."

Sharpay raised her eyebrow at Gabriella. "Oh really? Of all places, you'd pick Albuquerque. Interesting."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Just because I pick Albuquerque does not mean it has anything to do with Troy Bolton." But even Gabriella knew that was a lie as she said it out loud. She would always love Albuquerque because it was the first place that she felt like she belonged and called home and most importantly, it was the first place she had fallen in love.

Sharpay raised her hands in the air and shrugged, "I never said anything about Troy Bolton." She said in a serious voice, trying not to smile.

Taylor laughed. "That's right, Gabi, no one ever mentioned Troy. In fact, didn't you tell us we weren't going to talk about him this weekend? And here you are mentioning him."

Gabriella could feel her face getting red. She shook her head at her friends, "You two are relentless, you know that? Alright, as of right now there will no more mention of Troy. Agreed?"

Her friends agreed just as the waitress brought out their food. As they started eating, Gabriella was content as the conversation died down as they concentrated on their food. She noticed Sharpay check her watch again. "Shar, why do you keep looking at the time?"

"I, uh, I told Zeke I'd call him at 3:00. I was just making sure we were making good time. And see, we are. It's only 2:10 right now." Sharpay flashed her watch at Gabriella. Gabriella looked at her friend with curiosity. Something was up because Sharpay went back to eating and concentrated on her steamer basket like it was her last meal, obviously avoiding her gaze.

Gabriella just smiled and went back to her food. They ate and talked a little bit more. As they paid their bill, the girls walked out of the restaurant and tried to decide what the best way to get back to Gabriella's apartment was. Gabriella had suggested they continue shopping, but Taylor said she was exhausted and wouldn't mind taking a nap before their evening activities. Gabriella agreed and the friends decided to take a cab back to Gabriella's.

By the time they got back to the apartment building, Sharpay saw that it was close to 2:55. Perfect timing, she thought. They greeted Luther as he held the door open for them. The elevator took them to the fifth floor. Gabriella led the way to her apartment door. She was just about to put her keys in when Sharpay exclaimed, "Taylor and I need coffee, ASAP."

Gabriella turned to her friends and said "What? I have a coffee machine, I can make you some."

Taylor said in a louder voice, "No, it's okay. We saw a Peet's Coffee down the street. We'll get some there."

Gabriella laughed. "Taylor, I'm right here. No need to shout. Anyway, I'll just go with you. Let's just drop our shopping bags inside."

"No," Sharpay exclaimed. "We'll bring you back something. Here take our bags and put them in the guestroom." Gabriella felt her arms sag as Taylor and Sharpay dumped their shopping bags on her. They walked down the hall to the elevator and once they were out of sight, they peeked around the corner just in time to see Gabriella put the key in and opened the door. Sharpay and Taylor silently screamed and squeezed their hands together.

Gabriella walked into her apartment and gasped. Her living room was literally filled with colorful blooms of hydrangeas and lilies, her two favorite flowers in the world. The hydrangeas were in shades of blue, purples, and pink. The lilies were white and yellow. It was gorgeous. She felt like she was in her very own secret garden. How did these get in here? Before Gabriella could ponder some more, a figure walked out of the kitchen and into her living room. Gabriella gasped as she looked at Troy Bolton standing a few yards away from her.


	22. Chapter TwentyOne

**Author's Note: Hi Readers, I am sad to say this is the final chapter of my fanfic. I have had so much writing this story, and I'm excited to start my next one. **

**I had this chapter done a few days ago, but I kept re-reading it and trying to edit the chapter. I was having a hard time with the ending. I think I've come up with something that I like and I hope that you enjoy it and thank you to the devoted readers who've been following this fanfic and sent reviews. I really appreciated everything you said. Thanks again!**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-One

Troy looked at Gabriella's stunned expression. She dropped all the shopping bags she was holding and continued looking at him, her expression a mixture of confusion and surprise. "Hey Brie," he said hesitantly.

"Troy," Gabriella managed to get out. "What are you doing here? How do you even know where I live?" Troy was about to answer when Gabriella suddenly realized she had been tricked by her best friends. "Wait a minute, this doesn't have anything to do with Taylor and Sharpay needing to go out and grab some coffee does it?"

Troy smiled and put up his hands in surrender. "Guess we can't fool you, can we?"

"But Troy," she said, gesturing to the flowers and all. "What's going on here? What's with all the flowers? Not that I don't appreciate it."

"Brie, I have something to tell you." Troy told her.

Gabriella slowly nodded her head and said, "Okay? Something you couldn't tell me over the phone?"

Troy smiled and said, "Would you have picked up the phone if I called?"

Gabriella could feel herself blushing and gave him an apologetic look. "I guess you have a point there."

Troy just continued smiling at her and said "Besides, I couldn't tell you this over the phone. I had to come here and say it in person." Troy was watching Gabriella's face trying to gauge her emotions. He could tell she was still in shock, but she seemed happy to see him.

"Okay. What do you want to tell me?"

"Do you remember the conversation we had in your dorm room eight years ago? The very last conversation we had?"

Gabriella nodded. "Of course I remember. How could I forget?"

"Do you remember telling me what you were afraid of?"

"Troy, I'm not sure if I really remember what I was afraid of. I'm sure there were a lot." Gabriella looked down at her feet.

"You told me you didn't think we could be friends anymore because you had all these fears." Troy relayed back to her.

"Okay," Gabriella said quietly.

"You told me you were afraid that if we were still friends, you were afraid that one day I would tell you I found the love of my life and the woman I was going to marry. Remember now?" Troy looked at Gabriella, holding her gaze with his own.

Gabriella slowly nodded her head, her eyes locked with Troy's. "I do remember. I was just scared that it wouldn't be me." Gabriella and Troy stood staring at each other across the room. Troy broke the stare as he rushed towards Gabriella and put his arms around her. Gabriella held on to Troy, too, and she could feel the tears starting to form.

Troy stepped back from Gabriella and slowly got down on one knee. Gabriella gasped. Troy reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a small jewelry box and opened it up for her to see the beautiful ring inside. "Gabriella Montez," he started, "I love you with all my heart. You have always been the love of my life. There's no one else in this world I would marry or want to spend the rest of my life with. It's always been you. I don't care that we spent the last eight years apart; all I know is that I don't want to spend another day of my life being apart from you. Will you be my wife?"

Gabriella looked down at Troy through her state of tears. "No, Troy, I'm sorry. I can't do it this way."

"What?" Troy asked with confusion, he started to stand up but Gabriella gestured for him to stay down as grabbed his hands in hers and lowered herself down on her knees, facing him.

As Gabriella looked into Troy's face, she gave him a tender look. "Troy Bolton, I love you, too." She started. "I don't care that we spent the last eight years apart, all I know is that I have never felt more loved than the time we had together at the reunion. I don't want you to have to chase me anymore, okay? I'm here for you. I'm yours. You're the love of my life and I don't want to spend any more time apart from you either. I would be honored to be your wife but only on one condition."

Troy looked into her face, "What condition?"

Gabriella placed Troy's hand on her heart, "If only you'll be my husband." She said through her tears and shaky voice.

Troy grabbed Gabriella and kissed her. It felt so wonderful to have her in his arms again. Troy knew he was crying now, too, but he didn't care. "Gabriella, I'll be whatever you want me to be." He laughed as he placed the ring on her finger. "This is the same ring my father proposed to my mother with. I've always envisioned having a wonderful marriage like theirs and wanted to share this ring with you."

"It's beautiful," Gabriella cried, "it really is. The band was white gold and had a single princess cut diamond. "It's perfect!" This time they stood up so that they could embrace each other some more. Troy was deepening the kiss against Gabriella's lips when they heard a knock on the door.

Gabriella blushed and opened the door to find Sharpay and Taylor standing there, with huge smiles on their faces. All Gabriella did was flash the ring at them and both girls ran into the apartment throwing their arms around Gabriella. Then they both turned to Troy and gave him hugs and congrats.

"See Bolton," Sharpay said. "We told you to be patient, didn't we?"

Troy just shook his head and laughed. "You two are relentless, you know that?"

Taylor grinned. "Oh, we've been told that before."

Gabriella gave them a smirk. "That was a pretty clever plan the three of you cooked up. But I loved it."

"We're just happy to witness your real reunion. Now, both of you have to promise us no more heartaches or break ups. Okay?"

Gabriella reached over and put her arms around Troy's waist. He gave her a kiss on the temple. "We promise." They both agreed.

Another knock at the door interrupted them. Gabriella looked at Troy. "Another surprise?"

This time Sharpay and Taylor smiled at them. "No, this is a surprise for both of you. Go on, open it."

Gabriella and Troy looked at each other and shrugged. They walked to the door and opened it. Gabriella and Troy both gasped as they saw her mother and his parents at the door. "Mom!" Gabriella screamed, throwing her arms around her. "I'm so happy to see you."

"Me too, sweetheart." Mrs. Montez told her. Then she looked at Troy and she started crying, "Troy, it's been way too long." Troy reached over and hugged her.

Gabriella was hugging Jack and Lucille and they were admiring the ring on her finger. "It looks so beautiful on your hand," Lucille cried.

"Son, we're proud of you." Jack told Troy, patting his son on the back. "We're so happy you two are back together."

Troy blushed, "Thanks Dad."

Gabriella turned to Sharpay and Taylor. "I can't believe this. This is one of the nicest things you've done for me."

Sharpay blushed, "It was nothing. We knew that you were going to say yes and wanted to make sure your parents were here to celebrate with you. It just seemed right."

"Well, we appreciate it Sharpay." Troy assured her.

Lucille turned towards Sharpay and Taylor, "Yes, dears, we do appreciate it. That was very kind of you both to include us on the plan. We're just thrilled to be here!"

Taylor smiled at them and said. "Well, we sort of have another surprise."

Gabriella looked at Taylor and said, "Another surprise? I'm not sure if my heart can handle anymore surprises."

"Don't worry, we made dinner reservations for you all at the Metropolitan Club, one of the best in the city. Dinner is at 6:00 pm." Taylor told them.

Sharpay and Taylor headed for the door, and Shapay turned to Gabriella, Troy, and their parents and said "We'll leave you alone to catch up. Have a great night!"

"You too," Gabriella told them. "Thanks for everything."

Gabriella turned to her mother, "So, Mom, I know space is a little tight here but I can make some room for you in my room."

"Gabriella, don't be silly. I already booked myself a room at the Four Seasons." Mrs. Montez told her.

"I just thought you'd want to stay here." Gabriella said.

"Don't worry about me. I'm fine." She assured her daughter.

Troy turned to his parents, "Mom and Dad, you guys can stay with me at my hotel."

They both turned to Troy and laughed. "Troy, we got our own room at the Four Seasons as well. Besides, I'm sure you kids will want to celebrate later tonight." Lucille teased, winking at them.

Both Troy and Gabriella looked at each other and rolled their eyes. It didn't matter how old they were, their parents still embarrassed them whenever they could. "So, would you like anything to drink?" Gabriella offered.

The parents looked at one another and at their watches. "Actually, I might want to rest before dinner." Mrs. Montez told her daughter.

Lucille and Jack agreed to. "We'll just meet you at the restaurant tonight, okay?" Jack told them.

Gabriella and Troy nodded and walked their parents to the elevator. "I can take you back to the hotel if you need me too." Gabriella told them.

"Don't be silly, dear," Lucille said. "The hotels only a few blocks down the street. We'll just walk. Besides at our age, we need to."

Gabriella and Troy hugged all of them good-bye and said they would see them later. They walked back to the apartment. Once they were inside, Troy grabbed Gabriella in his arms and kissed her, this time hungrily and with more passion. He picked her up in his arms and carried her to Gabriella's bedroom. Troy laid her on the bed and they continued kissing some more, roaming their hands all over each other. Troy stopped kissing Gabriella and looked down at her. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too." Gabriella sighed. "I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Me, too." Troy told her, and then he looked at his watch. "Well, Brie, we have about two hours before dinner, what do you think we should do?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Gabriella laughed, "Just shut up and kiss me."

Troy gave her a big smile, "Don't mind if I do." Troy lowered his lips down her neck, to her chest, and to her stomach. Gabriella writhed with pleasure as she felt Troy's lips all over her. It wasn't long before she felt Troy inside of her. Their bodies moved in synch as they focused all their desires and needs to that exact moment.

After they were done, they laid together, their bodies intertwined. Gabriella leaned her head against Troy's chest, admiring her ring. She couldn't believe it. They were engaged! She didn't care that so many years went by; she just knew that Troy Bolton was the love of her life. Her friends were right when they said she was lucky she already found her soul mate. There may have been obstacles, but this was where she belonged.

Troy kissed her forehead. "What are you thinking about?"

"Just that I'm so happy being right here with you. This is where I've always needed to be." Gabriella said.

"I couldn't be happier either, Brie. You know that I was always yours." He told her tenderly.

She tilted her head and looked into his blue eyes and nodded. She tenderly cupped his cheek with her hand and whispered, "And I'm always yours."

* * *

**FINAL NOTE: Although this is the last chapter - I am ending my fanfic with an epilogue that will be posted later this week. **

**Hopefully by next week I will have the first couple of chapters of my newest HSM fanfic out. Thanks for reading!**

**~Dee**


	23. Epilogue

**Hi Readers - FINALLY - the epilogue is complete. I hope you enjoy it. I'm very proud of the fanfic I wrote. I'm pleased with how it turned out. **

**If you're interested, take a look at my new HSM fanfic called "Anything Else But the Truth". **

**As always - thanks to the devoted fans who followed this story to the end.**

**~deewriter**

* * *

**EPILOGUE**

_1 year later…._

Gabriella stared in the floor length mirror and was pleased with the way everything looked. Her make-up was impeccable and not a hair was out of place. Her dark hair fell in waves down her back. The Maggie Sottero dress she was wearing was perfect and fit her like a glove. The dress was made of Gossamer chiffon with a contrasting beaded band around the empire waist. The dress flowed down her body and moved with ease. She found the dress four months before their wedding date. It had been a pain trying on so many dresses, but as soon as she slipped the Sottero number on, she knew it was the one. She felt beautiful, confident, and sexy. It was a romantic dress and it was what she needed.

Sharpay and Taylor had helped her place the veil on top of her head. The sheer material flowed behind her back. She couldn't believe that their wedding day had come at last. So much had happened within the last year. After she and Troy had gotten engaged, she stayed in Boston for two months before relocating to Albuquerque. It was a decision that she didn't regret. Her career hadn't flourished one bit. She was on her way to making partner at one of the top law firms in Albuquerque. Troy was still teaching at East High and coach of the boys' basketball team. As much as she loved her life in Boston, it didn't compare to the life she was building with Troy. Their love was strong and she knew in her heart it would last forever.

She knew their friends were already in their places as bridesmaids and best men. She had asked both Sharpay and Taylor to be her Maid-of-Honors. She was glad she had picked simple black tea-length halter dresses, trimmed with matte satin. She wanted to pick dresses where it would be flattering on all their figures and they could wear the dresses on more than just this occasion. Besides, she loved the back of the dress.

She smiled as she thought about her best friends. She was happy that everything worked out for each of them. Sharpay and Zeke still lived in Los Angeles and the biggest news was that they got engaged three months ago. Zeke had surprised Sharpay with a weekend trip to Napa where he asked her to marry him at Artesa Winery, a beautiful winery that overlooked Napa and surrounded by beautiful fountains, reflecting pools, and sculptures. She was ecstatic for them and Sharpay had already asked her and Taylor to be her Matron and Maid-of-Honor.

It was also an amazing year for Chad and Taylor. Their relationship was stronger than ever. About six months ago Chad was traded to the Washington Wizards, so he and Taylor had purchased a beautiful brownstone in DC. They tried to get to Albuquerque whenever they could. Gabriella and Troy also tried to make frequent trips to DC as well. Taylor was still working as an editor at _Ms. Magazine _and loved her job immensely.

She had also asked Kelsi and Martha to be her bridesmaids. Kelsi and Ryan had an amazing year, of course, with the birth of their daughter. Sophia Ella Evans was the apple of her parents' eyes that was for sure. She was now almost 10 months old. She was a beautiful baby with fair and delicate skin and head full of little blonde ringlets. Kelsi and Ryan loved parenthood and wanted the best for their girl. Within the next year, they planned to move back to Albuquerque to raise their daughter. They loved Manhattan but wanted their daughter to grow up in a smaller city and be close to her grandparents. Gabriella was thrilled that she would get to see Ryan, Kelsi, and Sophia more frequently once they moved back.

After Gabriella moved back to Albuquerque, it didn't take long to be good friends with Jason and Martha again. They apologized for the way they had treated her during the reunion. Gabriella loved spending time with the Crosses and their kids. It didn't take long for Melody and Nathan to fall in love with their Aunt Gabi. Jason was still a financial planner and helped Troy coach the Wildcats. Martha still enjoyed her role as cheerleading coach.

Gabriella was so lost in her thoughts that she jumped when she heard a gasp behind her. She turned and found her mother staring at her, holding a hand up to her heart. "Gabriella, you are so beautiful," her mother started saying, tears coming to her eyes. "If only your father could see you."

Gabriella blinked back the tears, "I wish he was here, too." She said quietly. Then she smiled at her mom, "Please don't make me cry. I don't want to have to redo my make-up," she teased.

"No, we wouldn't want that. Your groom will be very upset." Mrs. Montez said. "Besides, Troy is dying to see you. So does everyone else."

"I'm so happy you and Dave are here. And Mom, thanks for walking me down the aisle." After Gabriella's father passed away when she was just 11-years-old, her mother had raised her as a single mom. If anyone was to give her away, it would be her mother.

"I'm honored that you asked me, Sweetheart. I'm so proud of you. You've grown into this amazing woman."

Gabriella blushed. "Thanks Mom. So is it about time I make my way to my groom?"

Mrs. Montez laughed. "Yes, and not a second later. We should get up those stairs." Mrs. Montez helped her daughter with the veil and brought it over Gabriella's head so that it hung down the front of her face. She extended her arm to Gabriella and she took it. She led the way to the entrance to the rooftop. She couldn't believe it when Gabriella first told her that she and Troy planned to get married on the rooftop of East High. The more she thought of it, it was perfect for Troy and Gabriella. They decided to keep their wedding small and intimate – close friends and family only.

Martha, along with the help of her cheerleading squad had decorated the stair banister with ribbons and flowers. It was breathtaking, but Mrs. Montez was excited for Gabriella to see how gorgeous the rooftop was. She knew it would blow her daughter's mind away. Troy had thought up the design and he wanted it to be a surprise for Gabriella.

As Gabriella and her mother made their way up the stairs, she could hear the string quartet they hired playing Pachelbel's Canon in D. It was one of Gabriella's favorite musical pieces and it was what she wanted to march down the aisle to. As they neared the top of the stairs, Gabriella felt the sun on her and her eyes started getting misty. In less than 20 minutes, she was going to be Gabriella Bolton. It was scary and amazing at the same time.

Gabriella gasped as she looked around her. She stared down the makeshift aisle towards a beautiful lattice gazebo decorated with hydrangeas and lilies in shades of blue, violet, pink, and white. She saw Taylor, Sharpay, Kelsi, and Martha to her left and opposite them stood Chad, Zeke, Ryan, and Jason. They all looked exquisite in their dresses and tuxedos. They all smiled as they looked at her. She saw the girls dabbing at their eyes with the tissue hidden in their bouquets.

She was looking for one face in particular and smiled as she saw the handsome face of Troy in the very center of the group. Gabriella could feel a tear slide down her cheek. Troy looked so handsome in his tuxedo. He had even slicked his hair back with a little gel and it looked great on him. He winked at her and held a hand up to his heart.

Troy stared down the aisle as he took in Gabriella's appearance. He was the luckiest man in the world because Gabriella Montez was going to be his wife soon. He was speechless staring at her. She looked stunning in her dress. She looked so classy and beautiful, the dress showing off her sculpted shoulders. Her long dark hair fell in curls down her back. He couldn't wait to lift the veil off so he could really look into her face. They had spent last night apart from each other and he hadn't seen her at all that day. She was a vision to be seen.

He looked out at their guests and smiled at his parents. His mother was dabbing at her eyes with a tissue and his dad smiled proudly at him. The parents of their bridesmaids and best men were also in attendance. Mrs. Evans was holding Sophia Ella and she was giggling and making little noises. He smiled at Mrs. Darbus as she looked proudly at him. She had been ecstatic when Troy told her they were getting married. She told him she always knew they would do that.

Troy's grin got wider as he looked at Mr. Fulton, their old boss from Lava Springs. Troy had gotten to know him over the years as a member of the club. Troy laughed as he thought about the rehearsal dinner the night before. Mr. Fulton had told everyone the stories of catching Troy and Gabriella getting into trouble and it always involved water – the first time they were caught dancing on the golf course and the second time in the pool. He raised his glass and toasted "the water bugs" a happy life together. It was very endearing.

As the quartet's music started to quiet down, he smiled as he saw that Gabriella was standing a few feet away from him. He grinned as the officiant started the ceremony by welcoming everyone and asking, "Who gives this woman to be wedded to this man?"

Mrs. Montez responded, "I do."

Troy walked over and gave Mrs. Montez a hug and kiss on the cheek. She took her daughters hand and put it in Troy's. "I love you both," she whispered and took her seat in the front row of chairs that had been set up.

Troy lifted the veil over so that he could see her underneath. She had tears in her eyes already and at the site seeing that, it made Troy choke up a bit. He winked at her and took her hands in his. He mouthed "I love you" to her.

Gabriella smiled as she stared up into Troy's face. She wanted to reach out and touch his cheek. The officiant started going on about how they were gathered there today to celebrate the union of this man and this woman. They listened as he talked about marriage and commitment. Did anyone have objections? She heard him ask. She was nervous because it was almost to the part of their vows. They had come up with their own vows to say to each other.

The officiant smiled at Troy and asked him to proceed with his vows. Troy smiled at Gabriella as he began his speech. He cleared his throat and said clearly in front of their family and friends, "Gabriella," he started, "from the moment I first saw you, I knew you were the one with whom I wanted to share my life. Your beauty, heart, and mind inspire me to be the best person I can be." He could hear the reaction from their guests as they awed and whispered how sweet his vow was. As Troy looked into Gabriella's eyes, his vision blurred. The next part was his promise to her and he knew he would cry as soon as he said the words. He cleared his throat and continued in a shaky voice, "I promise to love you for eternity, respecting you, honoring you, being faithful to you, and sharing my life with you. This is my solemn vow to you."

Gabriella cried as she realized it was her turn to tell Troy her vows. She reached out and touched his cheek, and Troy leaned his cheek into her palm. "Troy," she started, her voice quivering, "I love you, Wildcat. You are my best friend. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle." Troy had tears in his eyes and it made it hard for her to continue, "I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple, and when it is an effort." She gave him a smile, even though they were both crying by now. "I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life."

The officiant smiled at them and asked for the rings. Taylor and Chad stepped up and handed the wedding bands to him. He said a few words and blessed the rings. He gave Troy Gabriella's platinum band. They had gotten platinum bands inscribed with two words 'forever yours'. He took Gabriella's hand and as he slid the band onto her finger, he said "Let this ring be a symbol of my promises to you and a reminder of my devotion to you. I am honored to call you my wife."

Gabriella smiled at the words. She took Troy's ring from the officiant and as she slid it on his finger, she told him, "Let this ring be a symbol of my promises to you and a reminder of my devotion to you. I am honored to call you my husband." She knew by this time they were both elated and it was almost time to announce their new status. He gave her hand a squeeze.

They smiled at each other as the officiant blessed their marriage and said some kind words in the closing of their ceremony. He beamed at the couple and their small group of guests, "By the power vested in me by the State of New Mexico, I now pronounce you husband and wife." He knew the next part was always every bride and groom's favorite part of the ceremony. "You may now kiss each other."

"Gladly," Troy teased and pulled Gabriella in his arms and gave her a tender and soft kiss on the lips. As she pulled away, cheers erupted all around him. Troy and Gabriella faced their guests and held hands tightly. They were both waiting for the next part that would end their short, but sweet ceremony.

The officiant smiled proudly and said, "I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Troy Bolton."

Everyone cheered and applauded as Troy and Gabriella skipped down the aisle with big smiles on their faces. They were holding a reception dinner at Lava Springs and a limo would be taking Troy and Gabriella over. They went down the stairs carefully, making sure not to step on Gabriella's dress. Their limo was waiting for them and the driver opened the doors for them. Gabriella made her way in and Troy followed taking a seat next to her. As soon as they got their privacy, Troy pulled Gabriella into his arms. "I love you, Mrs. Bolton."

She giggled. "And I love you, Mr. Bolton." She leaned her head towards his and kissed him with passion. "Here's to a wonderful life together."

"I agree. Here's to forever with each other!" He said, handing a glass of chilled champagne to her. "Everything was perfect." Troy told her. "I'm the luckiest man in the world."

Gabriella smiled and leaned against him and sipped her champagne. "I agree everything was perfect. The rooftop was beautiful. You did an amazing job with it. That gazebo was gorgeous."

"Not as gorgeous as you, Brie," he whispered as he leaned towards her for another kiss. "I'm serious, I'm very lucky to have you in my life."

Gabriella could feel tears brim her eyes. "And I'm lucky to have you. You're my life Troy."

Hearing Gabriella say those words made Troy very happy. "And you're mine." He raised his glass to her, "To a long, happy, and loving life together."

Gabriella laughed and clinked her glass against Troy's. "Forever." She said.

"Forever," Troy repeated. They sealed their toast and union with a kiss.

* * *

**For photos of Gabriella's dress and the bridesmaid dress – please check my profile for the links to copy and paste in your browser. As soon as I saw the wedding dress, I knew it was the one - even the model kind of looks like Gabriella. Hope you agree with me.**

**For the bridesmaid dress, this photo is defaulted to yellow. To view the color of the dress, select black and for the trim select ivory, and you'll see the image of the dress that Sharpay, Taylor, Kelsi, and Martha wears.**


End file.
